Number of institutionalized children under 6,000

The number of children in the residential institutions managed by the Ministry of Education has decreased by 42% since 2007, when the reform of the residential childcare system started. In the yearly Chisinau teachers’ conference, Valentin Crudu, head of the Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education Division, said 10 500 children lived and learned in the 63 residential institutions in 2007. At the end of this May, there were 5 800 children in the 51 institutions left, Info-Prim Neo reports. 65% of the teaching staff of the reorganized institutions was employed in schools. Other teachers were able to attend requalification courses to become social workers. As to the auxiliary personnel, 50% of the employees accepted the reemployment proposals made by the local public authorities. The reform of the residential childcare system, which is aimed at developing inclusive education, began in 2007 and will close in 2012. The main objective of the reform is to halve the number of children in residential institutions by 2012.