Republic of Moldova

The level of education is directly proportional to the welfare of a population and early dropouts increase the risk of poverty.
The literacy rate is very high in Moldova, with the country ranked 17th out of 177 countries for literacy rates.

International targets

• Ensure that all children will be able to complete a full course of primary education.
  

Initial national targets

• Ensure opportunities for all children to attend secondary education. Increase the enrollment rate for secondary education from 88.0% in 2002 up to 88.9% in 2006, 93.8% in 2010, and 100% in 2015.
  
• Increase up to 75%, by 2007, the pre-school education enrollment rate for 3-5 year-old children and up to 100% for 6-7 year-old children, as well as reduce by less than 5% the discrepancies between rural and urban areas, between disadvantaged and middle-income groups.
  

  (Source: draft National Report „Millennium Development Goals Report:„New Challenges – New Objectives”)

Revised national targets

• Ensure opportunities for all children to receive general compulsory education. Increase the gross enrollment rate for general secondary education from 94.1% in 2002 up to 95% in 2010 and 98% in 2015.
  
• Maintain literacy rates of 99.5% for the 15- to 24-year-old population.
  
• Increase the enrollment rate for preschool programs for 3- to 6-yearold children from 41.3% in 2002 to 75% in 2010 and 78% in 2015, and for 6- to 7-year-old children from 66.5% in 2002 to 95% in 2010 and 98% in 2015, as well as reduce by less than 5% the discrepancies between rural and urban areas, between disadvantaged and middleincome groups.

 

TRENDS

Moldova had to overcome many obstacles on its way to the Millennium Development Goal in the area of education.

• Despite efforts by authorities to bring children into the educational system, the coverage of the general compulsory education has constantly decreased (from 95.1 percent in 2002 to 90.7 in 2009).
• With the current level of literacy of 99.6 percent for young people, achieving the second target of maintaining a high rate of youth literacy is realistic for both 2010 and 2015, but in the long-term there are many risks that arise from the drop in enrollment in compulsory education.
• The number of children with pre-school education is continuously increasing (from 44.1 percent in 2000 to 75.5 percent in 2009).
• Data show that children in rural areas, children with disabilities and Roma children have a much lower enrollment rate in pre-school education.
• Achieving the intermediary target of increasing pre-school enrollment is possible, but the perspective is less certain for the final target.

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