Geographical accessibility 

According to the study carried out by the National Bureau of Statistics, in primary and general secondary education from the Republic of Moldova at the beginning of the school year 2023/24: 

• 1201 institutions were operating, including 87 primary schools, 761 secondary schools, 344 high schools, 7 schools for children with intellectual or physical developmental disabilities and 2 evening schools;
• the number of pupils enrolled was 334.4 thousand, of whom 333.5 thousand in day schools and 0.9 thousand in evening schools.

At the beginning of the school year 2023/24 in urban areas there were 312 primary and secondary schools, and in rural areas - 889 schools. Of all establishments, 98.1% belong to the public sector.

Out of the total number of pupils enrolled in primary and secondary education, 325.6 thousand were enrolled in public institutions (or 97.4%). Compared to the school year 2022/23, there was a decrease in the number of pupils in public institutions (by 0.5 thousand or 0.2%) and an increase in private institutions (by 0.4 thousand or 4.9%).

56.2% of pupils in the Republic of Moldova study in urban areas.

As regards the distribution of the number of pupils in territorial profile, at the level of regions, 31.2% of the total number of pupils were enrolled in primary and secondary schools in Chisinau municipality, 27.3% in the Centre region, 24.0% - in the North region, 12.3% - in the South region, 4.7% - in the ATU Gagauzia, 0.5% - in the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester and Bender municipality, under the Ministry of Education and Research.

Pupils residing in rural areas more than 2 km away from the local educational institution receive free transport provided by the second level local public administration authorities and ATU Gagauzia.

Admission requirements and choice of school

The process of enrolment of children into the 1^st grade is regulated according to the Methodology for Enrolment of Children in 1^st Grade, approved by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova.

According to this, all children in the corresponding school district who have reached the age of 7 by the beginning of the school year are compulsorily enrolled in the 1^st grade, without the need for competitive examinations. According to the Standard Rules for the Organisation and Functioning of Primary and Secondary Education Institutions, enrolment in the 1^st grade is allowed on the basis of tests, approved by the Local Educational Specialised Body of the Second Level Local Government (OLSDI) in the following situations:

• for the formation of classes with an arts and sports profile, on the basis of aptitude tests specific to the profile;
• for the formation of bilingual classes (English, French and German) on the basis of specific aptitude tests for foreign languages, established by the specialists of the Local Education Bodies.

Children who have not reached the age of 7 by the beginning of the school year may be enrolled in the first grade in institutions on the basis of an application by parents or other legal representatives, if the institution has places available and in accordance with the school maturity assessments carried out by the district/municipal school commission. They are assessed according to their physical, socio-emotional, cognitive development, according to their learning abilities and aptitudes at the end of the preparatory group (for children who have attended the preparatory group in kindergarten).

The enrolment process is planned according to a timetable established by the Ministry of Education and consists of two successive stages: the first stage involves enrolling children from the school district corresponding to the educational institution, and the second stage involves enrolling children from outside this district or those who did not attend the first stage for certain reasons, on the places that remain vacant.

Children with sensory impairments, for whom it has not been possible to create the conditions for educational inclusion in their district school, may be enrolled in institutions with such conditions or in specialised educational institutions, according to specific requests and assessments.

As regards private educational institutions, enrolment in classes with alternative educational programmes (such as Waldorf, Step by Step, School of Tomorrow) is carried out according to parental choice and in accordance with the legislation in force.

Age levels and grouping of pupils

In primary education, pupils range in age from 7 to 11. According to the Methodology for the Enrolment of Children in the 1^st Grade, children who have not reached the age of 7 by the beginning of the school year may be enrolled in the 1^st grade, provided the institution has available places. The enrolment procedure is carried out on the basis of the following criteria: parents' or legal representatives' request, the decision of the district/municipal school commission regarding the school maturity of children who did not attend the preparatory group, and comprehensive assessments covering various developmental aspects such as physical, socio-emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and communicative skills. These evaluations are typically conducted upon completion of the preparatory group phase.

The number of classes per grade and the number of pupils in each class in public educational institutions are proposed annually by the management of the institution, according to its capacity and the forecast of the number of pupils, endorsed by the board of directors and approved by the local education authority (Education Code). Typically, this number may be around 20-25 pupils per class, but may vary depending on the availability of resources and the specific needs of the school and local community.

If a class has 25 or more pupils, it may be divided into two groups for certain subjects, such as foreign language or Romanian language and literature in Russian-language schools.

In primary education, according to the Education Code, there are various categories of staff, including the teacher (main teacher, who teaches most subjects), the professor (secondary teacher, who teaches subjects such as physical education, music, fine arts, foreign languages, etc.), support teaching staff, teaching assistants, speech therapists, psychologists, psycho-pedagogues and circle mentors.

Organisation of the school year

As outlined in the Standard rules for the organisation and operation of primary and secondary schools, the academic year within these institutions commences on September 1^st and concludes on August 31^st of the subsequent calendar year. This timeframe encompasses the entirety of the study period, examination sessions, resolution of academic backlogs, and the issuance of pertinent study documents.

The study year is divided into two semesters, starting on September 1 and ending on May 31 of the subsequent calendar year. The Ministry of Education determines the structure of the school year annually, including the length of semesters, the number and duration of holidays and the period of the examination session.

In primary education, the length of the school year is 33 weeks. In the event of epidemics, natural disasters or exceptional cases, lessons may be suspended for a specified period.

The decision to suspend lessons may be made by relevant authorities at various levels:

• at the level of the educational institution, at the request of the director, after consultation with the syndicates and with the approval of the local education authority;
• at district/municipal level, at the request of the local education authority, with the approval of the Ministry of Education;
• at national level, by order of the Minister of Education.

Following the suspension of lessons, measures are implemented to ensure the continuity of the curriculum across subjects until the conclusion of the semester or academic year. These actions are determined by the directive of the school director.

Organisation of the school day and week

According to the Standard Rules for the organisation and functioning of primary and secondary schools, in these institutions the school day is held in one shift. However, in cases where constraints in material and personnel resources are encountered, the institution's Board holds the authority to determine the implementation of a two-shift system for conducting instructional processes.

The school usually starts at 8:30. However, the Administrative Board, on the recommendation of the Teachers’ Council, may approve the start of classes at a different time, but no earlier than 8:00.

The timetable of lessons and extra-curricular activities, drawn up by the management staff under the coordination of the director, must be approved by the Administrative Board of the institution by September 10.

In drawing up and approving the timetable, the director of the institution is responsible for ensuring that the provisions of the Framework Plan for Primary, Gymnasium and Lyceum Education are respected and implemented, and that the requirements of hygiene and teaching, as well as study time regulation are met.

In the primary cycle, the duration of a lesson in the 1^st grade, in the first month of the first semester, is 35 minutes, while in the second semester and in the 2^nd-4^th grades, the duration of a lesson is 45 minutes. In the case of simultaneous education in the primary cycle, the duration of a lesson is 50 minutes.

For all cycles in general education, the timetable provides for a 10-15-minute break after each lesson, and after the third lesson, a long break of 15-20 minutes is recommended.

In special circumstances and for a specific period, the duration of lessons and breaks may be modified, with the prior approval of the local education authority, on the basis of a reasoned proposal from the school's administrative board.

The institution's activity week lasts 5 days and extracurricular activities (such as clubs, cultural-artistic endeavours, sports, environmental, community interest and voluntary activities) are scheduled beyond regular school hours.