Children’s right to education in Transnistria must not be politicized, OSCE

The OSCE Mission to Moldova published a report on the situation of the eight Moldovan-administered, Latin-script schools in Transnistria. It is intended for the decision-makers on both banks of the Nistru River to help them in finding a mutually acceptable solution. The report says the children’s right to education in Transnistria should not be politicized, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Progress on the school issue would advance one of the main goals of the settlement process, which is to help resolve problems that affect everyday lives of the people,” said Ambassador Jennifer Brush, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. She also said that achieving such progress requires concessions on both sides. “The goal is to protect the rights of the children to choose the language of their instruction, and this goal should always be kept in mind.” Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, said it is in the interest of all the parties to make sure that the children growing up on both banks of the river have access to the best possible education. “For a long time I have been concerned with the situation in these schools and I hope this report will help the sides to find a solution that would allow the schools to function until the final settlement of the conflict is achieved. The children’s right to education should not be politicized,” he stated. The report was compiled by the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities from field research, including meetings with school directors, local authorities, Moldovan authorities and de facto authorities, as well as in-depth analysis of prior negotiation documents.