Moldova Ministry of Education to transfer school administration to new agencies

The Moldovan Ministry of Education and Research is developing a transition mechanism to transfer the responsibilities of current regional and municipal education directorates to new Territorial Education Agencies (ATE). This reorganization is part of the ‘Restart in Education’ reform, which aims to establish a unified administration system for general education.

The transition will involve the transfer of personnel, documents, assets, and contracts. For 32 administrative-territorial units, the transfer of founder status is planned for January 1, 2027, while in the municipalities of Chișinău and Bălți, the change will take effect on January 1, 2028. Following this transfer, local authorities will retain competence only over early childhood education and extracurricular learning.

Under the new system, schools will be funded directly from the state budget based on a standard cost per student. The ATEs will manage the school network, human resources, financing, assets, school transport, and inclusion. Minister Dan Perciun stated that the preparation of these mechanisms aims to ensure the continuity of school activities and avoid administrative blockages during the transition. The reorganization will comply with labor and public service legislation regarding the redistribution or hiring of existing staff.