New school reorganization starts: 73 institutions affected
School reorganization is set to be implemented gradually across institutions with low enrollment figures.
Lower secondary schools (grades V-IX) with fewer than 35 students will be converted into primary schools, with students being reassigned to nearby educational institutions. The sweeping reform impacts 73 institutions and 1,300 students.
Education Code Amendments: A Package of 12 Changes
Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun, presented a package containing 12 proposed Education Code amendments at a December 2 press conference. The official clarified that the small schools in Moldova will maintain their presence in their localities but will change their form of operation.
"If an institution is already a primary school and has fewer than 30 students, it will be reorganized into a primary school-kindergarten. If we operate as a primary school-kindergarten and drop below 10 students, we will reorganize into a kindergarten," Perciun explained, detailing the educational reform.
The minister cited national exams and the PISA international assessment, which consistently show that students in small institutions—particularly those with fewer than 200 pupils—achieve weaker student performance.
Concrete Data: In the last ninth-grade exam session alone, the average grade across 24 schools with up to 30 students was 5.7.
Contrast: Graduates from large institutions (over 700 students) achieved a significantly higher average of 7.3.
Beyond academic metrics, the minister stated that deficient infrastructure, a lack of modern equipment, and a low number of specialized teachers directly impede the quality of studies.
To support affected children and parents, measures will be offered, including modern school transport and a monthly allowance of 1,000 lei for two years.
Dan Perciun also announced the imminent purchase of over 50 new school buses, along with specialized support facilities for teachers in the reorganized institutions.
Relocation Grants up to 300,000 lei
"A new element, unprecedented until now, is the so-called relocation grant," the minister emphasized. "To facilitate this process of internal migration where local employment is not an option, we are prepared to offer up to 300,000 lei to those who accept this transition."
Authorities further propose that, starting next school year, fourth-grade students receive formal grades in core exam subjects like Romanian language and mathematics.
Another critical change involves introducing free support programs for children returning to the country after having lived abroad.
Additionally, the creation of support groups for children with severe intellectual disabilities will be proposed. The new framework will allow for the formation of support groups with a maximum of six children and two specialists. Crucially, the children will remain integrated into regular classrooms for general activities.
By amending the Education Code, financial autonomy will become mandatory for schools with over 400 students. Minister Dan Perciun noted that although this mechanism has been available for over ten years, 172 institutions still depend on district directorates for financial management.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
