The Republican Center for Psychopedagogical Assistance faces a staff shortage, with only 328 positions filled out of the 367 mandated by law as of December 1, 2024. To address this issue, Minister Dan Perciun announced that “significant salary increases” will be introduced in 2025 to ensure adequate staffing levels in districts.
“The proposed adjustments aim to eliminate existing discrepancies in salary values between managerial and specialist roles within the Republican Center,” the MEC clarified in response to a press inquiry from IPN.
Regarding staffing needs to ensure adequate coverage at the district level, personnel norms require positions for psychologists, psychopedagogues, and speech therapists based on the number of students and children with special educational needs (SEN). However, many institutions, particularly those with fewer than 200 students, currently lack sufficient staff to meet the needs of SEN children. Specialists from the Republican Center for Psychopedagogical Assistance step in to support these children.
In Moldova, there are 1,300 early education institutions with approximately 117,000 children enrolled, including more than 1,600 with special educational needs. These institutions employ 16 psychologists, 126 speech therapists, 19 psychopedagogues, and 171 support teachers.
In primary and secondary general education schools, 287,000 students are enrolled, 8,300 of whom have special educational needs. Schools employ 417 psychologists, 131 speech therapists, 10 psychopedagogues, and 1,309 support teachers.
The activity of the Republican Center for Psychopedagogical Assistance focuses on providing help to those in need, regardless of age, including both children and adults. The institution collaborates with various individuals and organizations to support them in addressing complex issues.
The Center’s beneficiaries include individuals with disabilities and those facing challenging life situations. The team intervenes to assist these individuals in ways that consider their specific needs and life circumstances.
The services provided by the Republican Center for Psychopedagogical Assistance are free of charge.