Corruption biggest problem in Moldova's education system - survey

Chisinau, 11 July /MOLDPRES/ - About 50 per cent of the parents want their children to leave Moldova after finishing the education. These are the findings of a survey unveiled by the Foundation Friedrich Naumann for Freedom, in partnership with the Education Ministry, today.   

According to the survey, seven out of ten parents are willing to send their children to study abroad, because of the bad conditions for education, presence of corruption in the education system, for lack of new syllabi, demanded on the labour market of Moldova and from abroad, as well as because of the diploma, which no longer has its earlier value.  

At the event, Education Minister Corina Fusu said that this study would serve as a benchmark to continue the education reform next years, and recommendations of the survey’s authors would help modernize the entire education system.   

“The problems from education regard not only the kindergarten, school or ministry, but need a complex approach of them, with the involvement of all decision-takers – parents, pupils, local community, territorial authorities, decentralized institutions, etc. The central public authorities for several years have been undertaking concrete measures to modernize the education system and get it to the European level and standards,” Fusu said.  

For his part, one of the survey’s author, Doru Petruti, said that “over 1,200 persons participated in the opinion polls on the quality of the education system from Moldova, of whom 742 pupils/parents and over 400 teachers/professors.  

“After polling the respondents, I reached the conclusion that Moldova’s education must be reformed both inside and from outside. The most alarming index is the fact that approximately 45 per cent of the graduate students are ready to give bribes to get a graduation diploma. The parents say the same, of whom 95 per cent consider that there is corruption in the education system,” Petruti added.   

Attending the event were over 120 guests, of whom 30 experts from Germany, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Romania, etc. During three days, they will organize workshops to provide assistance to settle problems identified based on the survey conducted.    

(Reporter P. Beregoi, editor A. Raileanu)