Educational institutions in Chisinau are struggling with a 10 percent shortage of staff. At the same time, there are not enough teachers under the General Directorate of Education to ensure summer rest for pupils, Directorate deputy head Andrei Pavaloi told the Teachers' Forum, IPN reports.
Further enumerating the problems faced by the education sector, Andrei Pavaloi said that regulations on child nutrition in schools need to be amended so that pupils in private schools, not only in public institutions, can also benefit from free food.
Many buildings that house educational institutions are already quite old, but funds are only enough for regular maintenance, rather than for building new ones. Although in recent years the budget for the education sector has increased, much of this money goes to pay salaries and on routine maintenance, added Pavaloi.
Anatol Gremalschi, education program coordinator at the Public Policies Institute, said that the problem of the staff shortage could be solved if pedagogical universities taught future teachers to teach several school subjects instead of one or two.
“At the same time, the government should pay teachers not only the hours taught, but also the hours spent preparing for classes as well as working with parents. We really hope the unions can help us in this regard,” said Anatol Gremalschi.
Attending the Forum, Ombudswoman Maia Bănărescu declared that no employee can be fired on the grounds that he or she has not been vaccinated against Covid. At the same time, the Ombudswoman noted that the education system must be child-friendly. “Many children face neglect, abuse and bullying. The re are the ones who have to support these children”, said Maia Bănărescu.
Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban pointed out that, since 1991 and until recently, more than 80 kindergartens have disappeared in the capital, with apartment blocks or shopping centers being built instead.
