The Academy of Music, Theater and Plastic Arts is seriously concerned about the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research’s decision to reduce its budget for 2021 by 22.5%, which is by over 12.9 million lei. These funds were earmarked for teaching students studying for their Bachelor and Master degrees. A statement signed by members of the Academy’s Senate says that this decision plunges into chaos the artistic education process in the Republic of Moldova, with incalculable consequences for the future of the next generations of artists. The institutions’ representatives said that if the Ministry does not review its decision, they will mount protests, IPN reports.
In a press release, the Academy says that the Ministry of Education argued its decision to reduce the budget is based on the methodology for financing higher education in Moldova that took effect on January 1, 2021 and which provides for the allocation of budget funds depending on the number of students. But the Ministry does not take into account the real costs incurred by the artistic education institutions in the education process, as other states do, by applying the adjustment coefficient for artistic specialties.
The representatives of the Academy noted the diminution of the budget by about 22.5% will have very serious repercussions for the employees of the Academy and for the quality of the education process. The administration of the Academy will have to modify the plans of study, to drastically reduce the number of classes and this will have unfavorable consequences and many of the teachers, who are primarily famous artists, will have to look for other activities to supplement their earnings, while the students, if they do not teachers, will go to other countries to study and will remain there.
“We are aware of the very serious financial situation faced by our country, but we are against the destruction of an institution with traditions and with results achieved during the about 80 years of existence,” runs the press release.
The representatives of the Academy said they firmly disagree with this decision that is harmful to the institution and demand that the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research should review it as swiftly as possible or they will protest publicly against the decision to reduce the Academy’s budget by 22.5%.
