Shift of emphasis from mechanical assimilation to creativity in schools must be a priority, American expert

The education system in the municipality of Chisinau necessitates deep changes, mainly among the executive staff that become inert when effort must be made to modernize the sector and optimize work, Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca said during an international conference themed “Promotion of Education Partnership in the European Integration Context” that is held in Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. The event was organized by the Chisinau Municipal Council's General Division of Education, Youth and Sport and brought together specialists from Spain, Estonia, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Russia, the United States as well as experts of the Council of Europe. Moldova is represented by teachers from Chisinau and several districts. “The country's European future depends on its intelligentsia,” Dorin Chirtoaca said. “The local public administration, as the main partner in education, is aware of its responsibility to monitor the developments in the education sector.” Mariana Georgieva, education trainer of the Council of Europe, urged the participants in the conference to take into account the fact that the contemporary students will have to integrate into a world that is different from that of the previous generations. Livius Percy, American consultant-specialist in education who is native of Romania, pointed to three objectives that must be achieved in the European integration process. These are: the more active involvement of the family in the education of the child, including by reducing migration that results in the appearance of so called 'social orphans', the shifting of emphasis from mechanical assimilation to creativity in schools, and development of international partnerships for learning from foreign experience and implementing successful practices in Moldova. The international conference “Promotion of Education Partnership in the European Integration Context” will continue until May 14. The participants will work within three workshops: “Education in the European Context”, “Efficient Partnership: School – Community – Parents”, and “European Education Projects – Opportunities for Using Positive Experiences”. A roundtable meeting themed “New Orientations in Modern Education” will be held as part of the conference. The foreign experts will visit a number of high schools in Chisinau and will take part in events dedicated to Europe Day.