Education minister: “Academy of Sciences shows exaggerated interest in maintaining monopoly on managing public money intended for scientific work”

'The administration of the Academy of Sciences shows an exaggerated interest in maintaining the monopoly on managing the public money intended for scientific work,” Minister of Education Leonid Bujor said, when asked by Info-Prim Neo to comment on the recent statesmen issued by the Academy's president Gheorghe Duca. The minister considers that by his position, Gheorghe Duca tries to block the adjustment of the legislative and normative framework in the field to the European standards, which is a vital process for Moldova that has been delayed for many years. In a statement made public last weekend, Gheoghe Duca criticized the draft Education Code, saying Premier Vlad Filat's decision to announce a moratorium on it was a wise initiative. “We must say that the Ministry of Education is not belligerent and there is no need to institute a moratorium as the discussions on the draft Education Code form part of a natural and civilized dialogue between the components of a society for which tolerance is not a major principle,” Leonid Bujor said. The minister denied that a moratorium had been instituted on the draft Education Code, saying the fact that the administration of the Academy of Sciences takes expressions out of context and uses them tendentiously shows that they make use of instruments that are not typical of a credible and truthful institution. “The debates on the draft Eduction Code were officially opened on April 21, during an event that was attended by the Prime Minister. When the statement of the Academy's administration was issued, foreign expert Maguir Balint was on a working visit to the Ministry of Education, examining the draft Code. This draft was discussed at hundreds of meetings held in high schools, vocational schools and universities,” the minister said. According to him, the Ministry of Education expects that the society and the institutions involved directly or indirectly in the education process will be sincere and responsible and will submit proposals for improving this document. Leonid Bujor said the institution that will manage the money intended for science, working under the aegis of the Government, must become an independent body that will ensure equal conditions for scientific, academic, university and field research. “The Ministry of Education considers the eduction sector a priority and will not accept that the universities are given an inferior status and are not given research powers,” he said. The minister hopes the things that happened will be regarded as an ordinary regrettable incident and the scientists will serve the interests of the country, not of certain groups. Leonid Bujor said a final decision as regards the examination and adoption of the Education Code will be taken by the four parties of the Alliance for European Integration after broad public consultations.