Management of the education system

In accordance with the Education Code of the Republic of Moldova, the management of the education system is carried out at three levels: national, local and institutional.

Managerial competencies in the educational sector are established as follows:

• of the central bodies - by the Education Code;

• of local bodies - by decisions of local public administration authorities, adopted under the terms of the Education Code;

• of the institutional structures - through the University Charter and institutional regulations, approved under the law.

The Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova (MERRM) is responsible for the development, promotion, monitoring of implementation and evaluation of the impact of national policies in the field of education.

The MERRM may have decentralised bodies in the territory with functions of administrative management of education.

Local specialised bodies in the field of education are created by second-level local public administration authorities in the organisational form of internal subdivisions, subordinated to district/municipal councils. In the UTA Gagauzia, these bodies are created by the People's Assembly and are subordinated to it.

The title, structure and operating regulations of local specialised bodies in the field of education are established by the district/municipal councils, and in UTA Găgăuzia - by the People's Assembly, based on the standard structure and standard regulations approved by the Government.

Quality management is ensured:

a. in general education:

• at national level - by the Ministry of Education and Research;

• at the local level - by the local body specialised in the field of education;

• at the institutional level - by the managers of general education institutions;

b. in vocational and higher education:

• at the national level - by the Ministry of Education and Research, relevant ministries and the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research;

• at the institutional level - of the respective structuring of quality assurance in education.

The administrative acts and decisions of general interest approved by the entities of the education system are published on the official web pages of the respective authorities and institutions.

Authorities responsible for education and training 

The authorities responsible for education and training are the Government of the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Education and Research, the local public administration authorities of the second level and of the UTA Gagauzia, the local public administration authorities of the first level, some ministries such as the the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research.

The Government of the Republic of Moldova: approves the state policies in the education area; ensures the development and approval of the draft legislative acts in the education area and submits them to the Parliament for examination and adoption; adopts normative acts to enforce the legislation in the area of education and to ensure education priority etc. 

The Ministry of Education and Research: develops and promotes the state policies in the education and research area; develops draft legislative and normative acts in the education and research area, and exercises the state control over the enforcement of such acts; carries out the management, monitoring and assessment of the national education system, including the research; coordinates the activity of initial and continuing training of the teaching and management staff in education; develops and approves the state educational standards and the National Curriculum, and exercises, through the authorised institutions, the control over their fulfilment; develops the strategic plan of expenditures for the national system of education and research, collaborating with the central and local public administration authorities etc. 

The Ministry of Education and Research has the mission to promote and support lifelong learning. Based on the national development plans of actions of the governmental programmes and sectoral strategies, the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection develop national policies and strategies on the development of human resources, including the qualifications and professional training of adults, which are submitted for approval to the Government. 

The local public administration authorities of the second level and of the UTA Gagauzia, within the limits of the competencies set by the legislation: ensure the implementation of the legislation in the education area in the administered territory; manage, monitor, and evaluate the educational institutions whose founders they are; ensure the efficient operation of the network of general education institutions whose founders they are, based on efficiency, efficacy, and performance indicators; contribute to financing and developing the infrastructure of the educational institutions from the administered territory; ensure adequate activity conditions for the teaching staff and pupils; support and encourage the activity of continuing professional training of teaching staff etc. 

The local public administration authorities of the first level, within the limits of their competencies set by the law: contribute to ensuring the compliance with the legislation in the education area in the administered territory; manage, monitor, and evaluate the educational institutions whose founders they are; ensure the collaboration of the educational institutions whose founders they are; contribute to financing and development of the material basis of the educational institutions from the administered territory; ensure adequate activity conditions for the teaching staff and pupils in the educational institutions whose founders they are and the maintenance conditions for children etc. 

The National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research is responsible for external evaluation of higher education institutions and programmes, VET education programmes, as well as the accreditation of institutions.