Moldova teacher shortages force rural educators to commute

Moldova is currently facing 1,365 teaching vacancies in its schools, a figure that is 12% lower than last year. Despite this decrease, specific regions continue to struggle with severe staff shortages, particularly in science disciplines.

In the Soroca district, teachers at the Șolcani Gymnasium are commuting from other localities to cover essential classes for 151 students. Physics teacher Cristian Chitoroga travels up to 30 kilometers daily to teach in five different villages. Mathematics teachers Svetlana Gudumac and Raisa Mardici also commute from Bădiceni using public transport, private vehicles, or walking.

The educators noted that commuting adds significant exhaustion due to early starts, increased workloads from managing two institutions, and weather-related travel difficulties. The school administration highlighted that attracting teaching staff to rural areas remains a major challenge.