One out of three children in the Republic of Moldova lives in poverty, without access to quality education
One out of three children in the Republic of Moldova lives in poverty and does not have access to an inclusive environment and quality education, according to UNICEF data. At the same time, many children in this category are from rural areas and come from large families. The trends are also confirmed by the Ministry of Education and Research, which also noticed a discrepancy in the educational process in rural and urban areas. In order to ensure fair access to education for all children, several measures will be implemented with the support of the European Union (EU), said the Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun.
"Major challenges remain ensuring equitable access, regardless of living environment. Equal opportunities for all children, regardless of the socio-economic background of the families they come from. Here, as we mentioned, our major, strategic objective is to create this network of model schools. 35 to begin with. We mobilized 48 million euros at this stage. The medium-term objective is to have 90 schools across the country, providing access to quality education."
In the last three years, several measures have been taken to support children from vulnerable environments, such as granting allowances, providing students with free transportation and food, said Dan Perciun.
The European Union ensures fair access for children and supports those from disadvantaged backgrounds through the European Child Guarantee program, implemented by UNICEF and UNDP, which is also a recommendation of the European Commission for the European agenda of our country, said the Ambassador of the European Union at Chisinau, Janis Mažeiks. The official pointed out that some progress has already been made in this direction.
"The Child Guarantee touches important sectors such as social protection and education and is based on the European Union's core values in human rights and access to equal opportunities for all. The EU program implemented by UNICEF and UNDP contributes directly to the advancement of educational reforms to improve the quality of teaching and learning and equitable access to educational opportunities for all children, in line with the National Education Strategy 2030. We have already witnessed progress in strengthening child protection systems and improving access to essential services. However, there is still much work to be done ahead. By working together on the child guarantee, we are addressing an immediate need and investing in Moldova's long-term prosperity".
We remind that the European Child Guarantee is an initiative of the European Union to prevent and combat poverty, as well as the social exclusion faced by disadvantaged children. According to UNICEF, in its accession process to the community block, the Republic of Moldova still has work to do regarding disadvantaged children, namely to identify gaps and develop recommendations for alignment with the community block standards in terms of policies related to children.
