The government will offer all teaching staff in Moldova a one-time payment of 3,000 lei in cold season support, announced Minister of Education Anatolie Topală. According to the official, this year the education system faces a deficit of over 2,000 teachers, to be partially covered by teachers of retirement age, while the government looks for possibilities to raise salaries.

“There is a shortage of over 2,000 teachers. This deficit is partially covered by graduates, with more than 500 fresh graduates assigned to schools this year. And other vacancies are covered by teachers working overtime or through the involvement of retired teachers. We will come up with programs to support young people to choose the teaching profession”, Minister Topală said during a show on RliveTV.

He added that teachers’ salaries will rise this year, albeit by only a few hundred lei, as the government looks for further possibilities. Meanwhile, young teachers get a 120,000 allowance for the first three years in the job.

“We are working to raise the salaries, in particular of young teachers. Today the pay gap between a young teacher and an experienced one is large and perhaps not always justified. Now, by amending the Budget Law, we are raising the salary by several hundred lei. There will also be a 3,000 lei one-off payment for all teaching staff in cold season support”, said Anatolie Topală.

The minister added that today there are no reasons to expect a shift to online classes. Even if Gazprom cuts gas supplies or halts them altogether, Topală says Moldova would buy from alternate sources and make sure that the education process is not disrupted.