The going abroad together with the parents is one of the most frequent causes for school abandonment. According to the Ministry of Education, 221 cases of school abandonment were recorded since the start of the 2014-2015 school year. Over 40% of these students went abroad together with their parents.

Associate sociologist of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul” Diana Cheianu, expert in education policies, has told IPN that a rather large number of children have lately gone abroad to their parents and have been integrated into the education system of host countries. A part of the Moldovans who went abroad to work integrated into the host countries and decided to reunify their families there, giving up returning to Moldova.

The interviewees with these children and parents showed that the Moldovan children successfully integrate into such countries as Italy, France and Portugal and achieve good results at school. The beginning is the most difficult period for coping with integration-related problems, especially in the case of teens. “The elder the children, the more difficult is the integration process. Usually, these young people consider that the parents abandoned them the first time in Moldova. So, they remained alone and formed friends and a certain comfort area and the taking of these children abroad is considered a second betrayal. They do not regard it as reintegration because they consider themselves foreigners. There were cases when the relations between parents and teens worsened and the parents had to go to a psychologist together with the children,” stated Diana Cheianu.

She suggested that the authorities should take more measures to minimize school abandonment. The work with the socially underprivileged families, where the children, instead of going to school, must do particular work or look after the younger sisters and brothers, must be stepped up. “In this case, an inter-sector mechanism must be put into practice. A more powerful connection should exist between teachers, parents and social workers,” said the expert.

Of the 221 children out of school, 157 are fifth-ninth graders. As many as 101 of the children who abandoned school are Romanies. The largest number of cases of school abandonment was recorded in Nisporeni (60 cases). To prevent school abandonment, the Ministry of Education feeds gratis the first-fourth graders and the fifth-ninth graders from socially deprived families. All the first-fourth graders are supplied free with textbooks, as the fifth-ninth graders coming from socially deprived families are. The students going to schools in the neighboring settlements are transported to these schools free of charge.

Diana Cheianu noted that these measures have reduced the school abandonment rate to a certain extent, but not enough. “Cooperation is needed between specialists at local level because each case of abandonment must be analyzed separately. There are sometimes other factors that make the children abandon school,” she stated.

On February 14, the Ministry of Education will update the information about school abandonment.