Children in 14 districts provided with new school buses

Education divisions in 14 districts received 35 new buses to drive children to school starting December 9, when the winter break ends, Info-Prim Neo reports. The buses are for the about 2,000 children in these districts who have to travel distances ranging from 3 to 10 kilometers to get to school. Officiating at the key-handing-over ceremony, Prime Minister Vlad Filat noted that the buses were bought withing the framework of the project “Quality Education in Rural Moldova”, mentioning that it was supported by the World Bank, which provided half of the money as a grant and another half as a concessional loan. Education Minister Mihail Sleahtitchi informed that $2.6 million was spent on the buses. They will be added to the 25 buses bought in 2010, and in the first quarter of this year a further 42 school buses will be bought with money allocated from the State Budget. World Bank Country Manager Abdoulaye Seck noted that initiating the education reform was a firm step for Moldova. “This step will improve the quality of education. Countries like Russia, Bulgaria and Estonia are recent examples that implemented education reforms and succeeded”, stated Abdoulaye Seck. The 35 buses will go to the districts of Cantemir, Leova, Nisporeni, Stefan-Voda, Criuleni, Calarasi, Glodeni, Singerei, Taraclia, Ungheni, Ialoveni, Hincesti, Orhei and Cimislia. The total budget of the Quality Education in Rural Moldova Project is $10 million. The money offered as a loan is provided for a period of 40 years at an annual interest rate of 0.75% and with a grace period of 10 years.