The National Institute for Education and Leadership (INEL) launched its activities. The institution aims to train 1,000 mentors, to develop mentoring programs and partnerships for teaching practice and to also promote the profession of teacher among young people, IPN reports.
President Maia Sandu said that “it is very important for students to know mathematics, history, the Romanian language, but our responsibility is to also ensure that any child, no matter how much mathematics he/she knows, chooses to be empathetic, responsible, to respect the rights of others and know how to defend his/her own rights so that we live and protect a society where everyone can express their point of view freely, assert their potential and choose their own path in life, as we see in European countries. I count on INEL to train teaching staff as well as possible so that they become mentors and shapers of tomorrow’s social changes.”
“We want the mentors who will be included in this network to reach every school in the Republic of Moldova. We have very high expectations from this institution because we want to have an instrument through which we can promote good practices in our education system,” stated Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative to Moldova Andrea Cuzyova noted that investment in teacher training, development and leadership means more than the tools and skills needed for them to excel in their profession. It means a contribution to the development of all the people, to the realization of everyone’s full potential.
“The teaching profession is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by technological progress, demographic changes and societal expectations. Teachers are no longer expected to be transmitters of knowledge and information – which are now easily accessible to everyone – their role is now to be guides or mentors who challenge the students to think critically, to distinguish what is real from what is false, to process arguments and form their own opinions, to find out the facts and come up with their own solutions,” said Maha Damaj, UNICEF Country Representative in Moldova.
INEL will employ 17 persons who will guide young specialists, trainees and also teachers with years of experience in improving professional skills and promoting lifelong learning.
