Moldovan education ministry says 2019-2020 school year to end on 29 May, without festive meetings

Chisinau, 4 May /MOLDPRES/ - The 2019-2020 school year will continue online and will end on 29 May, without festive meetings and manifestations. Education, Culture and Research Minister Igor Sarov announced these and other procedures of the finishing of the current school year for all education levels, including the calculation of the school average marks, completion of the institutional documentation, issuance of school finishing certificates, etc., in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergency state declared in Moldova, at a news briefing today.       

„The schedule of the classes approved by each school institution for the 1-12 forms will be observed in the general education till 29 May. We will continue the education according to the methodology on the online education, in conditions of quarantine,’’ the minister said.    

The official specified several aspects of the order to this effect. Thus, the education institutions will approve a scheduled programme on the completion of school registers, bases on provisional recordings. The transcription of absences will be made only for cases reasoned by disease and the absences on the period of the online education are not described as reason for non-passing of the exam.    

„When the education process will be resumed in the new school year, competent people will make an analysis of the curricular plan on the period March-May 2020,after which, if needed, the plan will be updated,’’ Igor Sarov noted.  

Referring to the quarterly test papers, the minister stressed that they would not be taken for the 2019-2020 school year and the average marks will be established with at least two marks. ‘’The school situation will be completed for all pupils and all pupils will be promoted to the next form. The admission to the tenth form will be made in the terms additionally established by the Education Ministry,’’ Sarov said.   

„The reopening of kindergartens will be carried out under joint decisions by more structures: Health, Labour and Social Protection Ministry, local public authorities, National Public Health Agency, other actors involved, ‘’ the minister specified.  

Igor Sarov also said that all children would be admitted to the first form, in line with the provisions of the Education Code. ‘’The schedule of registrations, both online and physically, will be as follows: first stage – 21 May – 19 June; the second stage will be extended from 22 June till 31 July. Parents will not have to present medical certificate, signing only a declaration on their own responsibility on the child’s health condition,’’ the official informed.  

Also, the education minister said that, as for the school-finishing examinations (Bacalaureat), a final decision would be taken on 15 May. Sarov gave all assurances that ‘’this decision will be a responsible, fair one, taking into account, first of all, the school-leavers’ interests, plans and options of university education.’’   

According to Igor Sarov, this year, the Last Bell meetings and other traditional manifestations will be banned. ‘’The situation forces us to take these measures for all forms. I am quite sorry that this nice tradition cannot be fulfilled, but it is in the interest of everybody to give it up this spring,’’ the minister noted.     

As for the reopening of the schools, Sarov said that ‘’this period will be dictated by the child’s higher interest and the general aspects of public health, based on the evaluation of the related benefits and risks, sectoral information and the public health, social and economic specific proof. This will be done in stages, which sees more multi-dimensional actions – till the opening of schools and afterwards,’’ the education minister added.   

The pre-school children, pupils and students from Moldova have been in quarantine regime since 11 March. Once the education process suspended, more education institutions and teachers started online teaching courses, with special attention paid to the disciplines which will be included in the national exams.