Maia Sandu's speech, Minister of Education, in the Moldovan Parliament

Ladies and Gentlemen Members of Parliament, thank you for the opportunity to speak before
you about education. Allow me to express my appreciation for the fact that the Moldovan
Parliament focuses on educational system, an essential element of economic and social progress
of the country. Is natural to have a dialogue to strengthen the efforts for achieving the objectives
of quality assurance and modernization of education in Republic of Moldova, fixed targets in the
platforms of all political groups in the curent Parliament. I carefully read the motion. We all
realize that there are problems in education, despite the efforts of those involved in the system so
far. Even if we are not agree with all your statements, I'm sure we can find a common platform
for solving problems in the interest of our children.
Preliminary results of this session of high school graduation have surprised many, however, a
pass rate of almost 60% is a good result compared to other countries. I advise you to see it as a
first serious step, concrete and coherent toward educational and moral future of the Republic of
Moldova. At the same time, this result confirms the existence of serious problems in the system.
I am here today to talk about these issues and those questioned by you, but also what we want to
do to solve them.
The motion raises a series of questions about how to organize high school graduation session.
Allow me to begin with this problem. Preliminary results of the Bachelor's exam, updated after
the period of appeal, indicate an promotion average rate of 59.65% . About 6000 candidates have
only one failed subject and only 379 candidates have retakes at all the exam subjects . All have
one more chance for an additional session.
We anticipated a certain degree of anxiety caused by changes in the methodology's development
of the exam from this year, so we propound methodology of organizing and conducting the
bachelor exams in the 2012-2013 school year an extensive process of public consultation with
civil society and concerned parties.
Knowing that changing conditions of development of the evaluation could lead to results below
expectations, we have ensured that the complexity of the tests have never been higher than in
previous years, and the minimum score that has to be accumulated for a pass in this year we
minimized it from 30% to 25%. Of course, these measures are provisional for the special
situation of Bachelor Organization from this year. This year's session was conducted in different
conditions from those in previous years, so the comparison with previous results is not exactly
relevant.
But it is important to ensure that our conclusions are based on comparable data. In this case, the
experiences of countries where similar measures have been introduced to prevent fraud are more
relevant than in comparison with the performance of our students in previous years. Pass rate in
Romania in 2011 was 45.72% and in Georgia in 2005 was 55%.
As it was extensively reported throughout the primary session , these exams were organized with
the implementation of some protecting and rewarding measures of those children who learned
with all seriousness, they have made a considerable effort and respect the rules and cheating and
fraud prevention measures. Thus we have a real insight on qualitative level of education in our
country and we can begin to advance this level. Today we can also announce that the measures
taken for limiting fraud began to make a difference. One can already say that the vast majority of
students attended the exam correctly, without existing any evidence of fraudalency. We can not
claim to have completely eliminated the fraud, but certainly we are on the right track.
Ladies and Gentlemen, results of high school graduation exam from this year have proved what
we all knew, but perhaps we did not have the courage to recognize it. If we talk about the current
crisis in Moldova, then, this is certainly a crisis of real, genuine values. In our opinion, now it is
the time for the school to be again the primordial element of cultivation work values based on
honesty and fairness. Only thus Moldova can look with optimism and confidence to the future.
We must be honest with ourselves and to admit that the results of the bachelor exam from 2013 is
nothing more than a true reflection of the real situation in which our society is at the moment. It
depends solely on us whether we choose to go further on the path of honesty, conscientious
work, respecting and promoting the true values, or, conversely, to tolerate easier the path of
inertia, fraudalency, promoting values of tin and such as the fact of miming that we do not see
how the rules are violated.
High school graduation examination results of this year are not a consequence of optimization of
the school network, as it is indicated in the motion, but the degradation of the educational system
in recent decades. Therefore, comparable results to those seen at the bachelor exams in 2013
were obtained by students in international testing PISA2009 +. These results (PISA 2009+)
shows that the 15 aged pupils performance in reading, mathematics and science is among the
weakest in the region. According to this assessment of Organisation for European Economic Co-
operation, more than half of 15 years students of Moldova lacked basic level of competence
needed to participate effectively and productively in socio-economic life. Both baccalaureate, as
well as the International Assessment illustrates the problems concerning the quality system
throughout all stages of education. These results show the need to continue, strengthen and
expand reforms aimed curriculum, student evaluations, teachers and textbooks.
At the same time, this pass rate confirm the existence of serious system problems. These are
complex challenges. But people look forward for the change.Let's be honest: too long, we have
devoted to discussions on political issues, and too little on the needs of our children. The students
took the exams. Now came our turn to pass our exam.