The Republic of Moldova promotes high-quality education that includes inclusive education, but there are yet obstacles that should be removed. The subject was raised in connection with the Global Action Week for Education that is held in 100 countries simultaneously.
In a news conference at IPN on April 24, Liliana Rotaru, manager of the public association CCF Moldova (Child, Community, Family) and president of the Alliance of NGOs working in the field of child and family social protection, said that even if the process was launched in the 2000s, progress in promoting each child’ right to high-quality education has been made only during the past 7-8 years. Many of the promises weren’t fully delivered and their fulfillment should be hastened. Another about 1,000 children with special educational needs study in special schools, with a residential component, separated from the family. The kindergartens are also not fully ready to accept children with special educational needs.
The education institutions do not have sufficient human resources, while the infrastructure is not adjusted for children in wheelchairs. In rural areas in particular, these children cannot use the roads and the public transport. “There are yet many obstacles to ensuring access to high-quality education,” stated Liliana Rotaru.
Keystone Human Services executive director Ludmila Malcoci said a national sociological study for 2016-2017 shows positive changes in inclusive education take place both at the level of policies and in communities and schools. But a lot is yet to be done and everyone should lend a hand.
Natalia Strogoteanu, of the Media Youth Center, said not only civil society should be involved in the promotion of high-quality education, which means inclusive, friendly education accessible to all the children and the authorities. The high-quality education that Moldova pledged to ensure until 2030 through the Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved only by a common effort.
A number of activities will be staged as part of the Global Action Week for Education. These will include a session to inform the students of the Teacher Training University “Ion Creanga” and a roundtable meeting on April 26 entitled “Financing in education: priorities, necessities and reality” that will involve representatives of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and of the Psycho-Pedagogical Assistance Service, managers of education institutions and civil society representatives.
