A Model Schools Network will be established in the Republic of Moldova

A Model Schools Network will be established in the Republic of Moldova – a national project launched by the Ministry of Education and Research aimed to renovate and fully equip 35 general education institutions in the country. The initiative aims to increase access to quality education for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those from small rural communities. 

“We have decided to invest in establishing these poles of attraction in each district to serve as a destination especially for pupils from very small institutions. We will invest in infrastructure, which allows the educational process to be organized to the highest standards. The most important thing, however, is the teachers, the directors of the education institutions, the way the processes are designed in the institution, the availability of teaching materials and many other aspects that make this community a successful one”, said the minister, Dan Perciun, at the Model Schools Network launch event. 

Carolina Odobescu, Senior Operations/Portfolio Coordinator at the World Bank, said: “We support the Government of the Republic of Moldova through financial and technical assistance, analytical activities, helping the country to improve the learning environment in participating institutions. The project aiming to improve the quality of education will also support systemic changes that promote digitalisation practices of the sector to increase resilience”. 

“Late last year, the Council of Europe started the negotiation process on Moldova's accession to the European Union. I congratulate the authorities for this welcomed step but it means a lot of reform and lots to do. These types of reforms are especially difficult in education – a sector very close to citizens. The EU stands with MER and other partners during this difficult process”, said Magdalena Mueller-Uri, Head of the Operations Department at the Delegation of the European Union.

Daniela Gasparikova, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova, pointed out: “I express my appreciation to the Ministry of Education and Research for this initiative, as it has the potential to improve the quality of education and thus contribute to sustainable and inclusive development. At UNDP Moldova, we believe that education plays a key role in the development of human capital. Over the years, we have supported many initiatives in general education, vocational education and adult education”. 

“There is significant difference in the performance of pupils learning in smaller, rural schools and pupils from bigger, urban schools, as shown by PISA test results. About 64% of 15-year-old pupils from rural schools scored lower in science and reading, compared to 46% national average. We hope that model schools will show a way to potentially improve these scores by adopting and adapting standards of good practice in learning and teaching”, said Maha Damaj, UNICEF Country Representative in the Republic of Moldova.

“The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is pleased to work with the Government of the Republic of Moldova to prepare students for the future and thus help Moldova move forward on its path to European integration. Investments in Moldova's schools are critical for retaining talent in the country, growing the economy and making Moldova a better place for the next generation”, said Will Trigg, Head of the Economic Team, USAID.

The 35 general education institutions in the country, one in each district, are to be completely renovated and equipped with all needed to ensure the quality of the learning process and the highest educational standards. It includes infrastructure investment, upgrading educational content, state-of-the-art digital equipment, high-performance classrooms and laboratories, sports fields, transport, free meals, etc.  

A number of criteria were taken into account when selecting the schools, including the number of pupils studying in these institutions should be at least 500 and schools should have 200 available places for pupils from other localities. The first stage will cover 10 of the 35 institutions in the Model Schools Network and the renovation will be carried out as part of the “Education Quality Improvement” project, implemented by the Ministry of Education and Research and funded by the World Bank. With the support of UNICEF, through the EU-funded “Advancing Quality Education and Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All” project, implemented in partnership with UNDP Moldova, 10 model schools will be equipped with assistive technology and digital STEAM equipment, and with the financial support of the Global Partnership for Education, 35 education institutions will be equipped with ICT equipment to provide access to digital content for STEAM subjects. 

The investment needed to establish the Network of 35 model schools amounts to 70 million EUR, with 14.5 million EUR identified at this stage.

List of schools in the Model Schools Network