Eight schools in Ialoveni district were told to discontinue their tenth grades due to an insufficient number of students, prompting a group of disgruntled parents and local officials to stage a protest outside the Government building on Monday. 

They were able to talk to Minister of Education Dan Perciun, but a decision is yet to be taken.

According to Mayor Valentina Meșină of Rusestii Noi commune, families in her community want the students to be able to continue going to their local school. In the case of some children, both parents are working abroad, making it very difficult for them to find another school just before the start of the new academic year. Minister Perciun had a talk with the parents, but his answers apparently couldn’t appease their concerns. “Fingers were pointed at a lot of people, except at those who actually started this mess”, fumed the mayor.

Veronica Pascal, a councilwoman in Ulmu village, said the Ministry failed to took into consideration a decision of the Ialoveni District Council which authorized the schools to continue as usual. The Ministry chose to listen to a special commission instead, but Pascal said the protesters weren’t able to see its report. 

The councilwoman added that parents in the villages of Văsieni, Zâmbreni and Horești are also angry at the decision. “We want a zonal school reform. We do understand the number of children is decreasing, but (adopting such a measure) with only a few weeks left until the start of school is just wrong”, said Pascal.