MEC: Primary and secondary students no longer need documents to justify absences
Primary and secondary school students are no longer required to provide supporting documents for their absences. This change is part of the regulations regarding the organization and functioning of educational institutions, which were approved in February 2026. Parents can now report their children’s absences by simply sending a message or calling the school.
The measure aims to streamline the education system, according to Viorica Negrei, head of the General Education Management Directorate within the Ministry of Education and Research. She discussed this initiative during the "Bună dimineața" program on Moldova 1.
“Students from grades I–IX, who are part of compulsory general education, will no longer need to justify their absences. In the Republic of Moldova's educational system, there is no repetition based on learning outcomes or the number of absences; students are automatically promoted to the next grade. However, this does not mean we are encouraging school absences. In conjunction with this reform, we will also review how we track school dropouts and absences by enhancing mechanisms for monitoring and reporting in the Educational Management Information System,” said Viorica Negrei.
She added that the decision was influenced by feedback from parents. “Many parents find it challenging to visit the school or obtain a doctor's note for their child’s absence. After considering this request, we determined that it could be accommodated,” the official explained.
Eliminating the need for supporting documents is not intended to promote absenteeism. The ministry assures that any associated risks will be managed through improved monitoring and reporting mechanisms in educational information systems.
