Alla Ursu-Antoch
Dr. Valeriu Sainsus, Doctor of Demography, notes that among the positive achievements of the past year, he sees progress on the path of European integration. At the same time, the issues in the sphere of his professional activity, first of all, the demographic aging of the population, cause concern. The lame pension system is also directly related to this problem.
The issue of school optimization also attracts special attention. In the demographer’s opinion, this topic can become a key issue on the 2026 agenda and cause a lot of serious discussions: “Optimization of the school network puts pressure on a significant part of the population, primarily in rural areas, where more than 60% of citizens live”.
In this regard, according to Valeriu Sainsus, the salaries of teachers and other highly qualified specialists are an acute problem.
His position is shared by PSRM deputy Alla Ursu-Antoc, member of the Commission for Culture, Education, Science, Youth, Sports and Media, formerly a teacher. In her opinion, the Moldovan education system is going through one of the most difficult periods.
“The authorities’ intention to liquidate 73 educational institutions, first of all in rural areas, is a direct attack on the constitutional right to education. Under the guise of “optimization” and “budget efficiency”, the authorities continue the policy of closing schools without offering real alternatives to either children or teachers. This approach completely ignores the realities on the ground: bad roads, lack of safe school transportation, difficult social conditions. School closures do not lead to real savings, but, on the contrary, cause an increase in school dropouts, migration of young families and accelerated depopulation of villages,” the deputy believes.
Ursu-Antoch considers the authorities’ plans for the State University in Cahul another example of “political irresponsibility.” “This is not just an educational institution, but a strategic pillar of development in the south of Moldova. The liquidation of the university through a “takeover” will drastically limit the access of young people in the region to higher education and accelerate their outflow to Chisinau or abroad”.
Alla Ursu-Antoch directly links education with demographic prospects, which are sad to say. The decrease in the number of children and the migration of young families from rural areas pose a threat to the future of the regions and the country as a whole.
“Education should be seen as a strategic investment in the future of the country, not as an item of expenditure,” says the deputy. And offers alternatives. Among them – raising teachers’ salaries by 30%, revising the “per pupil” funding mechanism and increasing funding for small schools by 20%; creating co-financing mechanisms for small educational institutions with the participation of the state and local authorities.
Alla Ursu-Antoch urged teachers to maintain professional standards, not to agree to the degradation of working conditions and not to allow themselves to be turned into numbers in reports on “optimization”.
When reforming the education system, implementing growth plans and all kinds of structural changes, it is important not to “spill the baby” along with the “ballast”.
