Doctor of Law and university lecturer Mihai Corj challenges the initiative to make education obligatory up to the age of 18, which is contained in the draft Education Code. He considers that increasing the period of obligatory studies by two years will no way motivate the students to gain new knowledge. It will only deprive them of the possibility of getting a job, IPN reports.

The draft Education Code proposed for public debates provides that general education starts with the preparatory preschool stage and ends with lyceum or secondary vocational education. The Moldovans are obliged to attend school up to the age of 18.

Mihai Corj said the people obtain capacity to work at the age of 16. At this age they have the freedom to take a job. If a person does not want to continue the studies, no law should oblige them to do this. Access to lyceum studies must be merit-based. Only then will they start to have a value.

“The state must set the limits of general mandatory education, not yet of lyceum, vocational or higher education. The right to education must not be transformed into an obligation or duty,” stated Mihai Corj, adding that many of his colleagues share this opinion. He proposed that the secondary vocational education should be free of charge, while the second-level graduates should be admitted to universities without admission exams or tests.