The Government aims to restore the prestige of the profession of teacher, said the new Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun. According to him, a minimum average grade will be introduced for admission to teaching. A large part of the students with a doubtful average grade choose to study teaching and this does not help to enhance the prestige of the profession, IPN reports.

The minister said that as from next year, the lyceum graduates with low average grades will not be able to apply to study at teacher training universities. A number of factors, among which are the small salaries and unofficial payments collected in educational institutions, affected the prestige of the teaching profession.

“About 25% of those who go to study teaching on a budget-funded place have an average admission grade lower than 7. Introducing a minimum admission average for studying teaching is one of the things we will do at first, but starting with the admission session of next year already. I think it is important to tell society that the best students go to study teaching. Teaching should be regarded as a prestigious profession from financial viewpoint and as a profession appreciated by society both as narrative and as public perception. We must restore the prestige of the teacher,” Dan Perciun stated in the talk show “Reflection Points” on Vocea Basarabiei.

According to the minister, education is one of the areas in which the state invests the largest funds and the money should be therefore managed more efficiently.

“Education is the sector that consumes the largest part of the state budget and seriously competes with the social protection sector. Surely, resources are needed, but we must better manage what we have at the moment. We enjoy the foreign partners’ support. For example, this week we announced a new project in general education. Cumulatively, it goes to US$60 million or 1.2 billion lei. This money will go to build new educational institutions, to renovate, to equip, to train teachers. At the same time, our internal resources should be spent better,” said Dan Perciun.

The World Bank offered Moldova almost US$60 million for modernizing the education system. US$ 40 million is provided in the form of a loan, while US$19.8 million in grant funding. Three new lyceums are to be built and 15 schools and 15 kindergartens are to be rehabilitated with this money.