Ministry transfers two facilities to ease Chișinău school overcrowding
The Ministry of Education and Research has announced the first tangible steps to address severe school overcrowding in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, particularly in the Rîșcani and Ciocana districts.
Minister Dan Perciun stated that initial communications have taken place with the Chișinău City Hall regarding two educational facilities that the ministry is willing to transfer to the municipality on a free-of-charge loan basis for public use.
The Minister confirmed that City Hall representatives have already inspected the building at "Igor Vieru" Theoretical High School, and administrative discussions on the timetable have begun. The preliminary conclusion is that the City Hall is expected to accept the takeover of both buildings.
The Ministry projects that the educational process at the "Igor Vieru" High School building could start as early as September 2026. However, for the second facility in Ciocana—currently the Center of Excellence in Electronics and Energy—the City Hall is considering establishing a new school, rather than transferring it to an existing one. This more complex administrative process (institution establishment, director selection) could push the start date back to September 2027.
While welcoming the City Hall’s openness, Minister Perciun used the metaphor that the process has finally begun, but he stressed that the solution goes far beyond these two buildings.
In the view of the MEC (Ministry of Education and Research), the municipality must implement broader education reform, including structural reform of school districts, opening Romanian-language classes in Russian-language institutions, and priority investing in existing schools currently overlooked by parents due to dilapidated conditions and lack of upgrades.
Mr. Perciun noted that the ministry itself has ongoing renovation projects in over 30 municipal schools (focusing on energy efficiency and modernization with international partner support). He emphasized the critical need for a clear, medium- and long-term municipal plan to be discussed and approved by the Chișinău Municipal Council.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
