In the national schools and kindergartens, money continues to be systematically collected under various pretexts. This negatively influences the children and generates situations of discrimination and harassment when someone cannot or does not accept to offer money. At a news conference hosted by IPN, Ala Revenco, executive director of the Public Association “Părinți Solidari”, presented a list of recommendations addressed to the authorities, aimed at contributing to the elimination of informal fees in the education system.
Ala Revenco said that information campaigns for parents and teachers should be periodically launched. And the measures taken by the authorities must be more insistent or the phenomenon will continue to increase.
“Now we are in a situation when, after over 30 years of independence, we continue to have systematic collections in the educational institutions of the Republic of Moldova, under any pretext, starting from hygiene products and ending with large-scale repair works or with the provision of furniture, purchase of TV sets other types of equipment. This phenomenon, unfortunately, has a negative impact on the child’s right to education, restricting this right or creating situations of discrimination, bullying, harassment in relation to those who do not want to comply,” stated Ala Revenco.
Although there is a Code of Ethics for teachers, which specifies that the collection of money from parents is not allowed, this practice is maintained. Teachers continue to collect money directly or through parents, camouflaging it under voluntary donations. Ala Revenco said that one cannot talk about an effective fight against corruption in state institutions if thins in the education system are not brought in order. Today’s children are tomorrow’s governors and officials.
Yevgenia Bordeianu, a mother of two kindergarten children and a member of “Părinți Solidari”, noted that money is collected through the agency of parents’ chats under any pretext. All attempts to notify the authorities did not produce tangible results. Money continues to be collected. The parents fear their children will be intimidated and agree to offer the requested amounts.
The members of “Părinți Solidari” launched a petition by which they publicly call on the responsible authorities to take firm measures to solve the problem of informal collections in the education system.
Note: IPN Agency offers the right of reply to persons who consider that they were targeted in the news articles produced based on the statements of the organizers of this press conference, including by facilitating the organization of another press conference under similar conditions.
