A number of parents and students on March 5 protested in front of the Government Building against the decision to apply online learning following the worsening of the epidemiological situation. Parents who are members of the public association “Solidary Parents” say the lessons should be conducted online only where there are COVID-19 hotbeds. The protesters also expressed their dissatisfaction with the fact that the education institutions are closed, while the public eating places and churches are open and are full of people, IPN reports.

The protesters said a large pat of the students cannot do lessons online as they are too small and do not have online learning habits or the parents have to take the children at work with them as they cannot leave them at home alone, unsupervised. Also, not all the children have gadgets for studying online. Besides, the children start to have vision problems as they spend too much time on the computer or the phone. Moreover, the quality of online studies is poor and many children do not understand the content.

For her part, Natalia Grâu, secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, who went out to talk to the protesters, said the Ministry only complied with the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission’s decision. As not all the children can study online, the Ministry decided to extend the spring vacation of students until March 15. The Government allocated 20 million lei for ensuring remote learning. The money was used to purchase equipment, but the quantity is not enough. Another 10,000 laptops are to be bought in the nearest future.

The protesting parents intend to file a petition with 8,000 signatures in favor of the revision of the decision to hold classes online to the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission.

On February 27, the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission decided that all the education institutions in the Republic of Moldova will apply online learning during March 1-15.