UNICEF, with the support of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), on July 22 offered 105 computers to the total value of over 700,000 lei that will be made available to students and teachers through digital libraries in the country’s districts. The computers are intended for teachers and children who need support the most, with inclusion and equity being the main principles on which all the interventions in education in response to the challenges of COVID-19 are based, IPN reports, quoting a press release of UNICEF.

“Definitely, the main players involved in the education process felt the provided support that materialized into concrete actions, such as the purchase and distribution of 500 learning material packages for preschoolers and primary school children; holding of distance training seminars for educators centering on the work with parents of preschoolers and also the purchase of 105 laptops for teachers and students who do not have computers,” said Minister of Education, Culture and Research Igor Sharov. “The COVID-19 pandemic requires innovative teaching methods and access to technologies for each child.”

“Online education during the COVID-19 pandemic was an unexpected test,” UNICEF Country Representative in Moldova Desiree Jongsma said in the handover event. “There is the need to eliminate the digital educational discrepancy during the shortest period of time possible because a substantial number of children and teachers who didn’t have access to technologies and Internet for different reasons could not take part online in distance learning.”

To support Moldova’s efforts to keep students learning during the pandemic, GPE provided a US$70,000 grant through UNICEF to support the country’s COVID-19 response. The funds have been used to provide learning materials and sports equipment to the most disadvantaged students, particularly those with special needs who are more likely to experience challenges with online learning.