The reform of teacher education in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

The reform in teacher training in the Republic of Moldova started in 1991 with the declaration of independence, but it has taken off after 2005 when the higher education system began to adhere to the Bologna process. Shortly after this, the formation of the competencies necessary for school teaching was regulated by establishing the content of the psycho-pedagogical module. Universities are subject to stricter regulations in the organisation of undergraduate bachelor’s studies, cycle I, and have a wider autonomy in determining the objectives and contents of master’s programmes, cycle II. Pedagogical colleges have also a specific way of involvement in the teachers’ training process. Overall, there is a diversity of ways to train teachers, the paths of training professional competencies being different. Despite this diversity, there is a centralised system of teacher training, and the Ministry of Education and Research is involved in monitoring the professional training process by determining a fairly broad regulatory framework. A serious issue is the lack of teachers and young people’s low demand for training programmes. For these reasons, in recent years, the government has taken more sustained actions in supporting young specialists and motivating them to follow a teaching career.