Last week we could convince ourselves once again that our Latin ancestors were right when they said that repetition is the mother of learning. We could realize this with the assistance of Minister of Education, Culture and Research Monica Babuc, who in the July 20 program “Fabrika” on Publika TV shared her impressions following a visit paid to Taraclia district. What we learned from the minister counts less. What is really important is that she repeated some things that we can better learn if we repeat them: 1) salaries of technical personnel of kindergartens and schools, some of which can be lower than 1,000 lei, is a problem; 2) we have 2,032 vacancies in the education system today; 3) a very low number of young specialists choose to work in schools. 

These truths are rather painful and can be better perceived by repetition. That’s why the ruling Democratic Party’s approach to them is very interesting. Minister Monica Babuc, who is the representative of the ruling party, paid a visit to Taraclia at the suggestion of the party’s leader, who made a relevant call to all the Cabinet members. It should be noted that in the area for which the minister is responsible, she has very precise party directives. On October 17, 2017, the PDM leader said it clearly and trenchantly – the reform in education launched by the former government failed and the students and teachers suffer as a result. We must admit that Missis Monica Babuc is yet more attentive and delicate in her approaches. As repetition is the mother of learning, Mister Babuc didn’t miss the opportunity to subtly remind the PDM leader that: the goal of this reform we launched in October through the president of the Democratic Party, Mister Vlad Plahotniuc, and through the activities of the Ministry that match this initiative, was to create a new concept of the school program development... The program used now was introduced in 2010. Consequently, it has worked for seven years and undoubtedly particular changes are needed even from chronological viewpoint.

Surely, the miniseries could have been more trenchant and could have reminded the Democratic leader that this even held the post of Deputy Speaker of Parliament when the government program  European Integration: Freedom; Democracy; Welfare for 2011-2014 was adopted. The PDM, forming part of the government, took part in the formulation and implementation of that document whose page 57 expressly provides: The number and type of kindergartens should be adapted to the number of children and students in each locality, taking into account the existing demographic forecasts. Moreover, sticking to the idea that repetition helps to solidly learn something, the leader of the PDM should be reminded that since 2009 until now, namely  his party has constantly managed the ministry of economy and the ministry  responsible for social protection. So, namely the PDM was directly responsible for the welfare chapter of the government program.

Returning to the assessments of Minister Monica Babuc, we reiterate her rather balanced approach to the situation in education. In the same interview published on December 31, 2017, the minister noted that: Surely, in many localities ... the existence of the community, the village, the commune was brought in question. This cannot gladden us as we, from about 1,300 schools existing in the Republic of Moldova, have over 400 small schools. Given the demographic processes, the lower number of newborns and the migration processes, why should we hide this. The schools in other villages, which earlier had a much larger number of children, also become small schools. If we focus further on the closure of all these schools, we would have to close in general and would bring the largest part of localities in Moldova on the verge of extinction. But we do not want this and such a moment can be overcome by other approaches.Very correctly and precisely! Moreover, the minister came immediately with concrete proposals: we plan to reopen a primary school in Tepilova village of Soroca district and a primary school in Farladen village of Hancesti district. From September 1, we plan to reopen a primary class in Bolohan village of Orhei district and I think such examples will yet follow. Each case apart is analyzed from all the viewpoints, starting from the requests of parents and local communities and ending with financial reasons and the possibilities offered by each case apart.

Let’s follow the appeal of the minister and let’s analyze a separate case that happened in Tepilova. So, on March 29, 2018, following an interpellation by MP Elena Bodnarenco, the inferior of the minister – the secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research Angela Cutasevici – was questioned. This is what the official told the MPs about the reopening of the primary school in Tepilova village of Soroca district: The simultaneous training of first-third graders is now organized in the school. So, two children are first graders, six children are two graders and two children are fourth graders. There is a fourth grader with special educational needs. The students who attend the institution are satisfied and the parents approve of the quality of educational services provided by the teacher. The students at the school are fed in accordance with the alimentation standards and norms.

MP Elena Bodnarenco’s reaction was appropriate to the state secretary’s report: there were falsified 12 signatures of parents who pleaded for reopening the school. They went to the prosecutor’s office and wait for an answer from the competent bodies. In protest at the teacher’s qualifications, the parents refused to take the children to this school. The teacher teaches the fourth graders such math exercises as 2+4...

Certainty, the parents’ dissatisfaction with the populist party initiatives can be understood, not yet the protest against the teaching of exercises of the 2+4 kind in the fourth grade as we agreed that Repetitio est mater studiorum! This is how the future qualified staff is trained for the mature economy built by Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Kiril Gaburici. 

IPN experts