The Moldovan Government is looking for teachers who can teach in Romanian and are willing to relocate to Gagauzia. The Cabinet of Ministers is expected to approve regulations establishing the relocation programme.
Under the proposed regulations, teachers who relocate to the autonomy will receive a one-time relocation allowance of 300,000 lei. They will be required to work for at least five years, with a weekly teaching workload of no less than 18 hours.
Candidates must have appropriate higher education qualifications and demonstrate Romanian-language proficiency at a minimum B2 level, confirmed by a language proficiency certificate. They must also provide written consent to relocate and teach at educational institutions in Gagauzia and sign an individual employment contract with the institution to which they are assigned.
Under the proposed regulations, teachers who receive the allowance available to young specialists will not be eligible to receive the relocation payment at the same time.
If they terminate their employment contracts before completing the required period, they will have to repay the allowances they received.
According to data from the Ministry of Education, the performance of non-Romanian-speaking students in Gagauzia at the lower secondary level in Romanian has declined between 2023 and 2026. Ministry officials say that, based on the results of the 2026 national pre-test, the average grade among these students was 4.87.
At the national baccalaureate examination level, the average grade ranges between 6.28 and 6.56.
There are currently at least nine vacancies for Romanian language and literature teachers in primary and secondary educational institutions across the region. Other subjects are also facing teacher shortages.