Against the backdrop of the teacher shortage in Moldova, the authorities are taking a series of measures to attract more young professionals into teaching. At the same time, initiatives are under way to bridge the gap between the Moldovan and European education systems and to ensure access to technology for students, especially in villages. And to download the curriculum and avoid information overload for children, those in charge say practical skills training is a priority. In an exclusive interview with IPN, Ludmila Pavlov, deputy secretary-general of the Ministry of Education and Research, told IPN about the news and challenges in the education system.
It is important to invest more in education
What collaborative initiatives are underway with EU Member States to bridge the gap between the Moldovan and EU education systems?
We have a lot to learn from the European Union and its Member States, especially about how to educate competent citizens who are able to face today’s challenges and adapt quickly to changes in contemporary society – both globally and in the Republic of Moldova, where the pace of change is also accelerating.
When talking about European integration, I must mention that, fortunately, we have already come a long way in the field of education. Our cooperation with EU Member States began as far back as the 2000s, a landmark moment being Moldova’s accession to the Bologna Process in 2005. With this step, we brought the higher education system and teacher training up to European standards.
As far as technical vocational education is concerned, we have taken concrete steps both in our relations with member countries and with the European Commission. For example, we work closely with the European Training Foundation, a European Union agency responsible for vocational and technical education. By participating in the Turin Process and working together with European experts, we have started to adjust curricula, qualification standards and teacher training, following European best practices and adapting them to the realities of the Republic of Moldova.
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We apply the same approach to general education. At present, the Republic of Moldova has signed around 15 international treaties on cooperation in the field of education with EU Member States, including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and others. Through these partnerships, we are constantly working to bring our education system in line with European best practice, so that the processes and reforms in Moldovan education come as close as possible to those in the European Union. It is important to continue to strengthen these efforts, invest more in education and ensure that all children have access to quality education.
How do we make the school curriculum easier and modernize the educational system
You mentioned the school curriculum. What is the position of the Ministry of Education on updating the curriculum to meet the demands of a modern society?
The school curriculum is an essential element in promoting the quality of education. Together with the teaching materials and the quality of human resources, they are the main pillars in the formation of a high-performance education. The Ministry of Education and Research has constantly focused on modernizing the curriculum. It is an ongoing process, which takes place every five years, and we are currently in the process of curriculum revision.
In line with the current concept of curriculum development, we are moving towards a transdisciplinary and pragmatic approach to prepare young people for life and the challenges of the future. The updating process will last until 2027 and involves a rigorous analysis of the current curriculum implementation, mistakes and failures in order to learn from the positive experiences of other EU Member States. We have a team of national and international experts involved in this work. We want to build a pragmatic curriculum, focused on competences and skills, as it is in many European countries, so that students acquire knowledge that is applicable in everyday life.
Many parents are concerned about this topic, complaining that the current curriculum is overloaded and that many pupils, especially in primary grades, have difficulties because of the sheer volume of information. Are there plans to balance the content and focus on the practical side?
This is the direction in which the team of experts revising the curriculum is working. The Ministry has a constant dialog not only with teachers, but also with parents and students, and all these concerns are known. These suggestions will be taken into account in the updating process, in order to reduce information overload and to place a strong emphasis on practical skills training.
How could accession to the European Union contribute to the training and professional development of teachers in Moldova and what processes are underway in this regard?
We benefit from consistent support from the European Union. Over the years there have been important projects such as TEMPUS, Erasmus+ or the Horizon research projects, which have supported the modernization of education. In general education, we have projects focusing on continuous improvement of teachers and updating the curriculum, carried out in partnership with schools in EU Member States.
I would particularly like to mention the Twinning project and another recent €10 million project, which is in full implementation, aimed at developing teachers, both in initial and in-service training. With the support of this project and European funding, the National Institute for Education and Leadership has been strengthened. In addition, we have trained 1000 mentors to support both new and experienced teachers, thus contributing to their continuous professional development.
New projects for professional development of teaching staff
You are referring to the continuing professional development process…
Exactly. What’s more, this process will also include training placements outside the country, not just at national level. Teachers will have the opportunity to participate in training programs in EU Member States, including through the Twinning project. We are also working with many schools in the EU to improve teaching and update the curriculum. The project directly involves both teachers and pupils.
So it’s a kind of exchange of experience between Moldovan and EU schools?
The eTwinning project takes place on a digital platform, which also contributes to the development of the digital competences of both teachers and pupils. At the same time, this wide-ranging project supports the Ministry of Education’s initiative on model schools, a project about which I think many are already aware.
We want children even in the most remote villages to have access to modern schools with adequate infrastructure and well-trained teachers, in line with today’s requirements. Through the model schools project, we aim to have 35 model schools, one in each district, by 2027.
How many model schools do we currently have?
Already in many schools the processes are underway: infrastructure is being improved and investment is being made in teacher training. Currently, almost 15 schools are involved in this process, and our goal is to complete 35 model schools, one in each district, in the coming years. The perspective by 2029-2030 is to reach 390 model schools.
In addition to the European Commission’s support, we also have EU Member States investing directly in these schools. We recently received a €1 million grant from the Polish government to improve the infrastructure of model schools in the country. Through these investments, we aim to reduce the rural-urban gap in the quality of education. The latest PISA tests have shown that pupils in rural areas, where schools are small, with poor infrastructure and a shortage of teachers, perform worse. The ultimate aim of this initiative is to provide equal opportunities for all children, regardless of where they learn.
Initiatives launched to attract young people into the teaching career
There is a teacher shortage in rural areas. What strategies does the Ministry of Education have in place to motivate young teachers to stay in the system and not to go abroad or change their profession for lack of financial motivation?
It’s a long-standing problem, not a recent one. The Ministry of Education has initiated many reforms in this direction. For example, in 2024, teachers’ salaries were increased by 15%, and we hope to promote further salary increases in the coming years. We are aware that a 15% increase is not enough, but depending on available resources, we will continue these annual increases to attract young specialists, especially in rural schools.
We have also increased the one-off allowance offered to young teachers from 120 000 lei to 200 000 lei to facilitate their integration into the communities where they choose to work. In addition, facilities such as paying rent or covering some utility costs (electricity, heating) are offered.
Initiatives have also been launched to attract more young people into teaching. In the past year, scholarships for students in pedagogical specializations were doubled. Moreover, to raise the level of preparation of future teachers, we have increased the minimum admission average for pedagogical faculties from 5-6 to 6.7-7. We want to attract well-prepared young people capable of providing quality education.
We have also launched a wide-ranging campaign to promote studying in the Republic of Moldova as more and more young people choose to study abroad. To this end, universities are benefiting from improvements in infrastructure and offering better conditions for students, including renovated sports halls and various services. This spring, we organized a campaign to promote Moldovan universities, to make them better known and to attract as many young people as possible to study in our country.
Strategies aimed at digitizing educational systems
Digitalization has become a priority now not only in education, but in all areas, but I want to ask you in education, what progress has been made in this area and here I want you to tell us about equal access to technology for both rural and urban students. What measures have been taken or will be taken in the context of the European integration of the Republic of Moldova?
Digitalization is an essential dimension. We are trying to identify the necessary resources and keep up with all the innovations that are emerging in the European Union and globally. All our digitization strategies and action plans are aligned with European strategies, in particular as regards the digitization of education systems.
I would like to mention that we have made significant progress in creating information systems for all levels of education. We have a functioning Education Management Information System (EMIS) in general and vocational education, and we are now developing and implementing such a system in higher education. For example, last year we launched the online admission process for higher education and we will continue in this direction this year. We want to digitalize as many processes as possible, to increase transparency, to save human and financial resources.
Electronic catalogs have been implemented in many schools, and kindergarten enrollment, especially in big cities, has already been done for several years through digital systems. We want children to increasingly use these information tools in their learning.
How do you ensure equality for children in accessing technology?
We are guided by global standards for equipping schools with IT equipment. In the Republic of Moldova, the level of equipment is average, but we have many partners who support us in this – both through projects supported by the European Union, UN agencies and direct collaborations with companies like Microsoft and Google.
But does this equipment reach rural areas?
Of course. We have a long-standing partnership with South Korea, through which we receive 150 computers a year, mainly for rural schools. Of course, technology is advancing rapidly and what was good a few years ago can quickly become obsolete, but we are constantly striving to keep up. Almost every school in the country has classrooms equipped for the study of IT. Students are learning computer science, but are also using digital devices in other subjects. Also, with the support of Romania and other partners, many rural schools have received not only computers and tablets, but also interactive whiteboards, which are extremely useful for teaching.
The lesson of the pandemic was important.
It is true that students are more open and familiar with these technologies. But are teachers similarly open to using new devices?
Of course there is openness, and the Ministry of Education has been and remains concerned about this dimension. The lesson of the pandemic was important for us. In 2021, when we were trying to adapt all schools for online teaching, we were faced with the reality that many teachers did not have the necessary digital skills.
Thus, with the support of international partners and the state budget, we launched the National Digital Literacy Program, specifically for teachers. In three editions of the program over three years, we have trained around 30 000 teachers. For some it was initial training, for others advanced training, depending on their existing skills.
This year, through a project supported by the Global Partnership for Education, we are rolling out a new digital training program for another 10 000 teachers. In addition, the Ministry runs the Centre for Information Technologies in Education, which organizes annual IT training courses for teachers. In-service training programs for teachers also include compulsory modules on developing digital skills. This is an area we are constantly working on and will remain a priority for the Ministry of Education in the future.