By October 30, 35 Territorial Education Agencies will be established in the Republic of Moldova. With their creation, pre-university educational institutions will transfer from the jurisdiction of district and municipal councils to that of the Ministry of Education and Research. The measure is part of the “Restart in Education” reform, approved at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, according to IPN.

Once the reform takes effect, the ATE organizations will become the founding bodies of elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and special education institutions. Preschools and after-school programs will continue to be administered by local public authorities.

The new agencies will coordinate school operations and manage school funding. They will also approve the number of classes and staffing levels, establish school districts, and monitor compliance with compulsory education. In addition, they will be involved in managing infrastructure and budgets, as well as in preventing truancy and bullying.

The Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun, stated that the reform aims to ensure that all students have access to the same standards of quality, support, and safety, regardless of where they attend school. According to him, the quality of school administration currently varies from one district to another, depending on the resources and capacity of local authorities.

Once the schools are transferred to the ATE, the institutions will be funded directly from the state budget, based on the standard cost per student. The transfer of the schools and the implementation of the new funding system are scheduled for January 1, 2027, following the Parliament’s adoption of the bill. The reform will not apply to educational institutions in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, where the provisions of the special law on the region’s autonomy apply.