‘Dignity for education’: Teachers protest in schools, demanding higher salaries; MEC cites a 40% increase over the past four years
Teachers from various schools across the country protested on Tuesday morning within their institutions. They displayed white sheets and some with the message "Dignity for Education," urging the authorities to recognize the constitutional provisions that uphold their right to work. The teachers called on the government to provide concrete solutions to the issues within the education system.
Holding blank sheets of paper, which they see as symbols of professional dignity, teachers from the gymnasium in the village of Pașcani, Hâncești, gathered in front of the school this morning to demand fair working conditions and salaries.
"We, the trade unionists from Pașcani Lyceum and the "Mlădița" kindergarten, call for respect for the right to work and labor protection as outlined in Article 43 of the Constitution. Investing in fair remuneration for teachers is not a cost; it is an investment in the future of the Republic of Moldova."
A similar protest was also organized in Hâjdieni, Glodeni district. Employees of the gymnasium gathered in a classroom and demanded an increase in the reference value, a key indicator used to calculate salaries in the education sector.
"We are here to demand what is rightfully ours: our salary rights. We call on the government to increase the reference values by 21.5%, based on the ratio between the average salary in the economy and that in education. We propose that the basic reference value be set at 2,670 lei, and for teaching, scientific-didactic, and management staff, at 3,100 lei."
Teachers at Geamăna Lyceum, Anenii Noi district, also demanded higher salaries.
"We, the employees of the public institution Geamăna Gymnasium, request the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova to increase by 21.5 percent the amount of the reference values according to the ratio between the average salary and that in education."
Protests similar to the ones mentioned were also held at various educational institutions across the country. These included the "Mihai Eminescu" Theoretical Lyceum in Drochia, the "Petru Rareș" Theoretical Lyceum in Soroca, and the gymnasium in the village of Schineni, all located within the same district.
During the protests organized by teachers, Moldova's Minister of Finance, Andrian Gavriliță, stated on the program "Pe Față" on Moldova 1 that the teachers' demands for salary increases are justified. However, he emphasized that accepting these requests under the current circumstances would result in salaries being paid with debt.
Gavriliță pointed out that the Government cannot afford to borrow money to fund salary increases, noting that a medium-term solution would involve adopting a new salary law.
The Ministry of Education and Research (MEC) has acknowledged that teachers' salaries do not meet the justified expectations of employees within the education system. In a press release, the MEC expressed hope that the Ministry of Finance would implement salary increases that align more closely with the expectations and needs of the education sector, especially with the anticipated approval of the new salary law in September 2026.
The MEC stated, "In the last four years, teachers' salaries have increased by approximately 60%. The Government and the MEC have reiterated their political commitment to ensure that the average salary in education reaches the level of the average salary in the economy. While the MEC supports continuous salary increases for teachers, we also understand the Ministry of Finance's arguments about the need to prioritize strategic investments in the short term. This approach aims to foster sustainable economic growth, enabling stable, realistic salary increases in the future. Our objective is to avoid situations similar to those in other countries, where unmanageable salary increases were later reverted to the initial levels."
