Education Ministry launches “Let’s got to a better school” campaign

The Ministry of Education on December 9 launched a campaign themed “Let’s got to a better school” to inform the parents and children about the advantages of attending district schools and of applying new financing methods at schools, based on the principle “Money follows the student” that will be implemented in eight districts in 2012, Info-Prim Neo reports. Valentin Crudu, the head of the Preschool Education Division and executive director of the Quality Education in the Rural Areas of Moldova Project, said the demographic involution in Moldova led to a dramatic decrease in the number of students, especially in rural areas. The campaign is aimed at narrowing the discrepancy as regards access to quality education in urban and rural areas. “Within the project, we propose a package of educational services in every settlement,” said Valentin Crudu. As part of the “Let’s got to a better school” campaign, the parents will be familiarized with the methods of engaging in the reorganization of education institutions. The event includes public debates at the local level, fact-finding visits, broadcasting of radio and TV ads and production of radio and TV programs. The parents will be informed about the advantages of taking their children to district schools by the new buses purchased with the support of the World Bank within a pilot-project in Rascani and Causeni districts. More than 1,200 children from the two districts are taken to a better school by 10 modern buses. Another 15 buses have been bought with the money of the Ministry of Education and will start to be used in two weeks. Nina Cainarean, consultant coordinator of the Quality Education in the Rural Areas of Moldova Project, said the principle of the new financing methodology “Money follows the student” aims to optimize the use of public money, simplify and strengthen the methods of forecasting the budget planning process and to increase financing transparency in schools. From 2012, the new financing method will be implemented in the districts of Criuleni, Calarasi, Cantemir, Nisporeni, Taraclia, Stefan-Voda, Glodeni, and Leova.