Moldova takes steps to address teacher shortage
The Moldovan government has increased the allowance for young specialists from 120,000 to 200,000 lei, the equivalent of approximately $6,600 to $11,100. The allowance is paid to young people who graduate from institutions of higher education and commit to working as teachers for at least five years.
The Ministry of Education is now discussing how the allowances will be distributed. Minister of Education Dan Perciun said that the ministry is considering several options, including:
- Paying the allowance in three instalments of 40,000 lei each over a period of five years.
- Paying the allowance in a lump sum at the beginning of employment.
- Paying the allowance in six months.
The ministry is also considering whether to eliminate the requirement for young specialists to repay the cost of their studies. Currently, students who graduate from institutions of higher education and do not work in the field for which they were trained are required to repay the cost of their tuition.
The ministry is also working to develop a regulation for the allocation of young specialists. Currently, there is no clear regulation in place for how young specialists are allocated to schools.
The shortage of teachers is one of the biggest challenges facing the Moldovan education system. According to statistics, at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, managers of educational institutions in the country were looking for over 2,000 specialists.
The government's decision to increase the allowance for young specialists is seen as a step towards addressing this shortage. The government hopes that the increase in the allowance will make teaching a more attractive career for young people.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
