The authorities of the Republic of Moldova and Romania aim to invest more in early childhood education and care. A Moldovan-Romanian partnership in this field and also the support provided by the two states to the integration of children of Ukrainian refugees were discussed at a regional conference staged by UNICEF in Chisinau, IPN reports.

Minister of Education Dan Perciun noted that the Republic of Moldova invests important resources in preschool education and that the structure of costs for kindergartens is encouraging. “We are doing quite well even compared to the European countries, including due to the resources we have. The kindergartens account for 1.8 percent of the GDP, as opposed to 1.6 percent at European level. I don’t think there is any locality in the Republic of Moldova that does not have a kindergarten and we should maintain such a state of affairs,” said the Moldovan official.

The inclusion of children with special educational needs so that access to education is ensured for all children remains a concern of the authorities. From 2025, a new formula for financing kindergartens is projected to be implemented with the support of UNICEF. “Today we do not have funding from the state budget for the inclusion of children with special educational needs. It is a major challenge for our system,” noted the minister. Dan Perciun also spoke about the modernization of the kindergarten infrastructure through the “European Village” program, emphasizing also the Romanian Government’s valuable contribution to the modernization of educational institutions.

For her part, the Minister of Education of Romania Ligia Deca said that early education is the place where we should invest energy, human resources to overcome historical gaps between urban-rural environments, giving an equal chance to early education to all children. “In Romania, we have extended this process precisely because equal opportunities do not start at the age of 6. By 2030, we want compulsory education to start with the small group.  It is also a challenge in terms of personnel, the expansion of the network. We have also changed the kindergarten enrollment methodology. Until now, they enrolled directly in kindergarten. We made it possible for Ukrainian refugee children to integrate. We invested in the study of the Romanian language by refugees. Vulnerable categories have priority when it goes to early education,” stated Minister Deca.

UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Octavian Bivol appreciated the progress made, including through the LEGO Foundation that came up with a project to support refugee children and families, which was implemented on both banks of the Prut. “All children have equal opportunities. Evidence shows that investing in early childhood development can help us reach what we value, namely human capital and human development. However, we know that one in three children does not benefit from early education. What we see here, the cooperation between the governments of Moldova, Romania and partners in Ukraine, is the best support for the national systems to integrate children,” said the UNICEF Deputy Regional Director.

Prime Minister Dorin Recean thanked the organizers of the conference, noting that this is a priority area for the Republic of Moldova. “We know that the challenges are great and we still have work to do. We are talking not only about financial investments, but also about human ones, which are related to the future of each child. That is why we rely on our cooperation with UNICEF, the LEGO Foundation, development partners and friendly countries, such as Romania and Ukraine. Only together we can build a safe environment full of opportunities for all children, including those who have suffered because of war and conflicts,” stated Premier Recean.

The inter-regional conference “Beyond borders, opening new horizons” was organized by UNICEF, the LEGO Foundation, in cooperation with the Ministries of Education of the Republic of Moldova and Romania.