School directors face dismissal in Chisinau illegal fee crackdown
During the summer academic recess, the Chisinau General Directorate of Education, Youth and Sport (DGETS) issued a strict enforcement notice prohibiting any form of parental monetary collections within municipal educational institutions. Authorities warned that administrative and disciplinary sanctions will apply to violators.
The mandate explicitly outlaws informal classroom fees, institutional school funds, and unauthorized financial collections intended for facility renovations, learning materials, sanitary supplies, or teacher gifts.
Enforcing legal integrity
"We are reiterating the legal boundaries established in our active framework, including the 2024 DGETS administrative directive," stated Andrei Pavaloi, Head of DGETS, during a broadcast on the public Radio Moldova network.
Pavaloi clarified that any classroom upgrades must occur strictly through certified, legally registered parent associations. These funds must be managed transparently by parents, entirely independent of teachers or public education staff.
Historically, informal collection disputes spike at the beginning of each academic cycle due to peer pressure among parent groups. In response, municipal authorities emphasized that the Chisinau administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy against illicit financial practices.
Hotline mobilization and disciplinary sanctions
Parents facing coercive financial demands from peer groups are urged to contact the National Anticorruption Center (CNA) institutional anti-bribery hotline. If school employees solicit illegal fees directly, DGETS will immediately launch internal disciplinary probes.
To protect vulnerable reporting parties, municipal auditors will enforce strict confidentiality. Investigators plan to utilize anonymous internal compliance surveys to cross-check operational practices within individual schools.
Educational personnel found tolerating or promoting unauthorized collections will face decisive administrative consequences. School directors retain the legal authority to sanction or dismiss teachers, while the municipality will demote or terminate school directors depending on the severity of the institutional breach.
The municipality affirmed that the local government allocates sufficient budgetary resources to public schools and kindergartens. DGETS has instructed all institutional directors to publish full fiscal reports on public information boards, ensuring parents remain fully informed regarding municipal funding allocations.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
