The number of students in Moldova over the past ten years declined by 11%. 15-20 small schools are closed annually. A number of 1,200 schools welcomed students in the current school year, by 40 fewer than in the 2020-2021 school year. There are now 12.7 students per teacher, as opposed to 18 students traditionally, said expert in economic policies of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul” Veaceslav Ioniță. According to him, 35,500 children went to school in the first grade this new school year, by 1,200 children more than in 2020-2021, IPN reports.
With reference to primary and secondary general educational institutions, Veaceslav Ioniță said that 1990-1991 was a record school year when there were 743,000 students. Later, a continuous decline was seen until 2015. Since 2015 until present, the number of students in primary and secondary general educational institutions has been constant. There were 334,500 students in 2015-2016, 334,400 students in 2020-2021 and about 333,000 are estimated to be there in 2023-2024, as in 1933-1934.
“Currently, we are witnessing internal migration of young people to the municipality of Chisinau and to Balti. The national average the past five years shows that we have stability. There are only four regions where the number of children grew, but in other districts it decreased drastically. In the municipality of Chisinau, the number of students rose by 18.6%, in Balti – by 13.3%, in ATU Gagauzia – by 9.1%, in Ialoveni – by 0.7%. In Telenești, it decreased by 16%, in Nisporeni – by 14.3%, in Cantemir – by 14.1%, in Basarabească and Cimișlia – by 12.4%, while in Leova – by 12%. Even if we see stabilization in the number of children in schools and even if the number of children over the next years does not decline nationwide, we have demographic gaps in several districts that, besides external migration, also witness internal migration,” noted the expert.
According to him, the number of students decreased by 11% nationwide over the past ten years. Even if it grew by 24.7% in the municipality of Chisinau and by 13.1% in the municipality of Balti, the figure declined by 41% in Cimișlia, by over 30% in Nisporeni, Ștefan Vodă, Glodeni, Telenești, Basarabească and by over 20% in Fălești, Leova, Hâncești, and Cantemir. In these administrative units, the number of children decreased and therefore fewer children went to lyceum. Those who went to lyceum went to institutions in Chisinau or Balti, where rises have been seen.
Veaceslav Ioniță said that the largest number of schools was recorded in 1939-1940 – 2,720 institutions. After June 28, 1940, when the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia took place, the number of schools in the 1940-1941 school year diminished by about 1,000 to 1,840 and 1,800 schools existed until 1980-1981, decreasing then drastically to 1,600 educational institutions. The situation was later stable until 2010, when the education reform started as this was a necessity. If that reform hadn’t been done, the old system would have failed. In the new school year 2023-2024, Moldova has 1,200 schools, by 40 fewer than in 2020-2021. Each year, 15-20 small schools are closed and this tendency will continue.
Veaceslav Ioniță noted that there were 15-18 students per teacher in Moldova traditionally. Since 2000, the number of children had constantly declined, but the number of teachers remained constant and the ratio in 2010 was 10 students to 1 teacher. It was therefore impossible to maintain that education system.
