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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
National reforms in school education
Moldova

Moldova

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

14.2National reforms in school education

Last update: 26 March 2025
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2024

In 2024, the Ministry of Education and Research has implemented national reforms in school education, focusing on infrastructure modernisation, teacher training, bullying prevention, equitable access to education, and reducing bureaucracy:

  • Creation of a Model School Network in Moldova – the Ministry of Education and Research has launched a national project to renovate and fully equip 35 general education institutions across the country. The initiative aims to improve access to quality education, particularly for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and small rural communities.
  • Over 4,000 Teachers Trained in the Second Edition of the "Investing in Teachers" National Programme – the Ministry of Education and Research has allocated approximately 8 million lei to expand the programme in 2024. The free continuous training courses took place between April and December 2024, both in selected schools and online.
  • Hundreds of Specialists Trained in Bullying Prevention  – around 800 psychologists, school administrators, and teachers from secondary schools and lyceums in the districts of Glodeni, Florești, Strășeni, and Telenești participated in training sessions between September 2023 and February 2024 to strengthen their capacity to prevent and combat bullying.
  • New Measures for Equitable Access to Education and a Safe School Environment – parents who enrol their children in schools with more than 50 pupils, instead of smaller institutions, will receive a tax-free allowance. This measure is included in the proposed amendments to the Education Code, approved by the government. Teachers working in schools with fewer than 50 pupils will also receive allowances if they agree to transfer to another institution designated by the Ministry of Education and Research.
  • New Regulations on Extended Programme Classes published – the document defines the duration, activity schedule, funding, and salary calculation methodology for teachers working in extended programme classes and groups.
  • Reduction of Bureaucracy in School Education: Exemption from Final Semester Exams for Some Pupils – according to recent amendments to the Regulations on assessment, grading, promotion, and graduation in primary and secondary education, pupils with language proficiency certificates at level B2 or higher (C1 for bilingual class pupils) will automatically receive a grade of "10" for their final semester exam in Foreign Language. Similarly, pupils who have passed international certification exams in computer science will receive the highest grade for their final semester exam in Informatics.
  • Merit Scholarship Programme for Roma Pupils Launched – the Ministry of Education and Research, in collaboration with the Agency for Interethnic Relations, has introduced a merit-based scholarship programme for Roma pupils in lyceums, vocational, and higher education. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the programme provides monthly scholarships of 1,200 lei.

 

2023

In 2023, the sphere of school education in the Republic of Moldova experienced a series of reforms aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of education, increasing the skills of teaching staff and adapting the educational system to current and future requirements. Detailed presentation of these reforms:

  • Retraining of teaching staff: The Ministry of Education has allocated 4 million lei (approx. 206.3 thousand euro) for the retraining of 800 teaching staff. This initiative aims to cover the shortage of teachers in the system and ensure a quality educational process.
  • The continuous training programme "We invest in teachers": Another important programme was launched for the professional growth of teachers, with a budget of 6 million lei (approx. 309.4 thousand euro). Through this programme, 3,000 teaching staff from 90 general education institutions benefited from trainings organised within the institutions. The purpose of the programme was to increase organisational culture and school growth, by capitalising on the new skills of the entire pedagogical team.
  • Financial incentives for teaching staff: In 2023, the Ministry of Education established a one-time payment of 5,000 (approx. 258 euro) lei for teaching and management staff, researchers and employees of psycho-pedagogical assistance structurers, and 3,000 lei (approx. 154.7 euro) for auxiliary staff, on the occasion of Teachers' Day. In addition, a 15% salary increase for teaching staff was ensured from January 1, 2024.
  • National Institute for Education and Leadership (INEL): A new institute dedicated to the creation of a mentoring system for teachers was established, which would ensure the correlation of initial and continuous training, as well as the formation of a network of elite mentors to support the professional development of teachers.
  • Provision of school textbooks: Government Decision no. 876/2015 was amended to ensure free access to school textbooks, thus eliminating the rental system declared unconstitutional. The changes also included the introduction of a minimum fee for the evaluation of school textbook projects.
  • Modernisation of educational materials: 40 textbooks were revised and edited, and the acquisition procedure was launched for another 67 new titles. These textbooks are aligned with the new curriculum approved in 2018 and 2019.
  • EduTechLab digital laboratories: With the support of UNICEF, 65 digital laboratories were developed and equipped in schools. These labs help pupils to develop the digital skills for the future, which are necessary for digital professions, in order to create digital projects with social impact.
  • Training of teaching staff to use modern equipment: About 660 teaching staff from 160 educational institutions were trained to use modern equipment in physics, chemistry and biology laboratories.
  • Learning Romanian language programme: A programme dedicated to the learning of the Romanian language by national minorities, including the adult population, was approved for the period 2023-2025, with a budget of 3 million lei (approx. 154.7 thousand euro). Over 6,557 adults have benefited from free training within this programme.
  • Changes in the financing of education: A draft decision was approved to change the method of financing primary and general secondary education institutions based on a standard cost per pupil, with the aim of streamlining the allocation of financial resources and promoting the professional growth of teachers.
  • Staff norms in education: New staff norms for primary and secondary education institutions were approved for the first time after 1999. They include new positions such as chief accountant, psychologist, psychopedagogue, speech therapist, etc.
  • DigCompEdu digital skills framework: The digital skills framework for teachers has been approved, aligned with European standards, which will guide the assessment and development of teachers' digital skills.
  • The programme for the development of inclusive education: A programme for the development of inclusive education for the period 2023-2027 was approved, with a budget of approximately 530 million lei (approx. 27.3 million euro). It will allow more than 11,000 children to benefit from quality education.
  • Reorganisation of the Republican Center for Psychopedagogical Assistance: The institution was reorganised to make the psychopedagogical assistance services more efficient in the districts and municipalities, moving it under the management of the Republican Center.
  • The methodology for evaluating the individual performances of teaching staff: A new methodology for evaluating the performance of teaching staff was approved, which reduces the number of annual reports and regulates the individual performance.
  • Other reforms and initiatives: In 2023, numerous other initiatives were carried out, including the organisation of vacation for children and adolescents during the summer, the integration of refugee children from Ukraine into the educational system, the development of new school curricula and implementation guides, the revision of school documentation for debureaucratisation, the development of the Model School concept, the rehabilitation of sanitary groups in schools, and the awarding of the winners of the "Teacher of the Year" competition.

2022

The school education reforms implemented in the Republic of Moldova in 2022 aimed at modernising the curriculum, diversifying the educational offer, improving online safety, as well as supporting access to education for refugee children and those with learning difficulties. Below is a brief description of these reforms:

  • Curriculum update: 19 disciplinary curricula for secondary education and 16 for high school were gradually implemented.
  • Framework plan and optional subjects: A new Framework Plan for primary, secondary and high school education was approved for the academic year 2022-2023, which also included three new optional subjects for secondary and high school, thus diversifying educational offer and allowing pupils to personalise their educational path.
  • Methodological benchmarks and teacher training: Methodological benchmarks for the organisation of the educational process, both in the study subjects and in the field of early education, were developed and published on the website of the Ministry of Education and Research. For their implementation, approximately 2000 teaching staff and 35 specialists from the local specialised bodies in the field of education (OLSDÎ) were trained in methodical meetings, thus contributing to a better training of the teaching staff.
  • Regulation on school textbooks: A new regulation for the selection and purchase of school textbooks was approved.
  • Online protection and safety: Standards for the protection and safety of pupils online have been developed and approved, reflecting a concern for increasing the cyber security of pupils. In addition, an implementation guide for these standards has been developed, which demonstrates a systematic approach to ensuring a safe digital environment for pupils.
  • Access to education for refugee children: A specific instruction was adopted for the integration of children from refugee families in Ukraine into general education institutions.
  • Regulations for online education and remedying its deficiencies.
  • Curriculum diversification through optional subjects: Many new optional subject curricula have been approved, such as "Education for Legal Socialisation", "Harmonious Family Relations", "Electoral Education" and "STEM in Forensics".
  • Education in Russian language: Guides for the subjects of "Personal Development" and other didactic materials have been translated into Russian, thus ensuring access to quality education for pupils studying in Russian language.
  • National Digital Literacy Programme: Almost 4,500 teachers were trained in intermediate and advanced digital skills, essential in the context of educational modernisation and increased use of technologies in education.