The rulers who want higher average graders for students in the Baccalaureate exams do not want to admit that these average grades are higher than the support they offer to education, leader of the Party “Action and Solidarity” Maia Sandu stated in a news conference. She noted that deputy minister of education Lilia Pogolsa, who said that methodological problems were witnessed in this year’s Baccalaureate session, has serious integrity problems.
“The deputy minister has objections to the assessment methodology and the people who work out and grade the tests. No one says that the process is perfect, but the approach adopted by the National Agency for Curriculum and Assessment turned out to be correct. They showed that they do not sell tests and grades. What does the acting minister want – to be able to name people to posts as she wants, to distribute grades as she wants? This is what she can do as she proved it earlier,” stated Maia Sandu.
PAS secretary general Igor Grosu noted that Lilia Pogolsa’s statements about the irrelevance of the methodology of holding the Baccalaureate exams match the approaches made earlier by the Party of Socialists through President Igor Dodon. “We see that the Democratic Party and the Party of Socialists synchronized actions to annihilate the reforms in education. Their accusations in this regard are nothing but a sample of incompetence and wish to discredit this important exercise for the graduates and the community of teachers,” said Igor Grosu.
PAS requested the parties to refrain from speculations about the Baccalaureate exams. The discussions on the quality of tests are welcome only if these are held by specialists in the field. The Party Action and Solidarity recommended those who are dissatisfied with the grades in the Baccalaureate exam to adopt a new law on the pays of teachers so that the salaries are raised and represent at least 80% of the salaries of MPs. These should allocate money for building new schools, should hold hearings in Parliament on the implementation of the Education Code and should name an honest person respected in the education sector as minister.
The Ministry of Education’s administration is to be questioned in Parliament about the violations identified in the Baccalaureate session next week, at the request of the Socialist MPs. MP Vlad Batrancea said at least two major violations were identified at the current stage. The first is related to the composition of the three commissions responsible for the organization of the Baccalaureate session, which think up and grade tests and examine challenges. The second goes to the assessment method.
