The group of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) on the Chisinau Municipal Council staged a flashmob meeting in front of the Chisinau City Hall. The participants demanded that funding should be provided for prolonged-hour groups of primary school classes in Chisinau. They carried multiple placards and chanted “We want groups with prolonged hours!”, “We want children to be safe!”, IPN reports.

PAS councilor Zinaida Popa said that their party’s representatives on the Chisinau Municipal Council are solidary with parents who will have to leave their children alone at home. This means “unsafe conditions for about 40,000 children”. “The municipal budget was supplemented with about 4 billion lei from the national budget, by 100 million lei more than last year. Money for groups with prolonged hours was identified lats year and today we have even more opportunities for this,” stated Zinaida Popa.

Another municipal councilor, Galina Comendant, requested that the meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Council be convened once again to approve the municipal budget and find money for the prolonged-hour groups.

Councilor Lilia Scutar said that it is inadmissible for a minor to stay at home without supervision.

“We ask the government and the leaders of the PAS not to mount protests, but to provide funding for the creation of groups with extended hours for the entire country, including Chisinau. All the local public authorities want this, but without budget funding it is hard for mayor’s offices to survive with the money you offer,” said mayor general Ion Ceban. He noted that the Chisinau City Hall does not close these groups, but allows them to work as the teachers and parents decide, as earlier.

In the 2023-2024 school year, 38,679 students were enrolled in classes with prolonged regime, organized in 1,114 groups, at 124 primary and secondary educational institutions.