Moldovan teachers who live abroad will study methods of teaching the Romanian language to diaspora children in a five-day workshop in Chisinau. In the first seminar of the kind, organized by the Bureau for Diaspora Relations and the International Organization for Migration, there will be presented a Romanian language teaching curriculum worked out by experts of the National Association of European Trainers from Moldova.
Mihaela Vatavu, coordinator of the training center “Alunelul” in Padova, Italy, has told IPN that the workshop is welcome, while the intention to open training centers in the diaspora is very important. Initially, this appeared out of the enthusiasm of those from the diaspora, who didn’t have pedagogic education and worked long based on volunteering. “The seminars staged now in Chisinau are very important as they enable to offer the children high-quality training, especially because not all those who organize educational centers in the diaspora have pedagogic education,” stated Mihaela Vatavu.
She added that for those who left it is important not to forget the native language, traditions and values. “The most important moment in the lessons was to find on the map the place where the children left their grandparents and many of them remembered their relatives and friends who remained in Moldova,” said Mihaela Vatavu.
Olga Coptu, head of the Bureau for Diaspora Relations, said the project to open educational centers in the diaspora and centers of excellence of the diaspora, launched a year ago, is a very important one for the Bureau. The educational centers abroad are a novelty for Moldova and they hope these will continue to work owing to the effort of those from the diaspora.
“We could visit several of the educational centers. We must admit that the diaspora teachers show a lot of devotion. There are children born to Moldovans abroad who would not know to speak Romanian without the effort made by these,” said Olga Coptu.
The representative of the Ministry of Education Ludmila Oleinic said that as a result of working visits to Italy, Spain and other countries, they convinced themselves of the good organization of the centers and the Ministry is ready to help implement the educational initiatives of the Moldovan diaspora and supports the initiative to perpetuate the Romanian language and to cultivate love for the country in the young generation.
