On Professional Day of Education Workers, 70 lyceum pupils of Moldova simulate parliament meeting, discuss school network's reform

Chisinau, October 5, 2026 – The school network’s reform has been placed on the agenda of a simulated parliament meeting, during which 70 lyceum students took on the roles of MPs and discussed solutions for rural schools. The activity took place in the parliament’s plenary session hall on the professional Day of Education Workers. The young participants formed parliamentary factions, presented their positions, proposed amendments and voted on a draft specially drafted for this exercise.

The simulation was organized by the Artemis Senate of the “Aristotel” Republican Theoretical Lyceum, in collaboration with “ORIZONT” Theoretical Lyceum from  Durlesti and “Prometeu-Prim” Lycerum of Creativity and Innovation. The participants were divided into five parliamentary factions: the National Progress Party, the Alliance for Communities, the United Socialist Bloc, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Green Movement and Youth.

 

Before the debates began, lawmakers Angela Cutasevici and Olga Ursu spoke to the students about the legislative process, legislative initiatives, public debates and the mandate of a member of parliament, answering the young people’s questions.

The subject of the simulation was, The Crisis of the Rural School Network. The bill drafted by the students was based on a proposal to expand and accelerate the Model Schools’ Network programme by merging educational institutions that do not reach a certain enrollment threshold. Under the draft law, 35 educational institutions, one in each district or municipality, were to be transformed into pilot schools with modernized infrastructure and well-trained teaching staff. Free school transportation was provided for students from smaller localities, while their families were to receive a monthly allowance for two years.

At the Parliament’s rostrum, the students discussed such issues as the quality and efficiency of education, access to schools in their communities, the autonomy of local communities, education system financing, school transportation and the risk of depopulation in rural areas.

 

The debates continued with the submission and examination of amendments, final statements by the factions, and a vote on the draft. In this way, the participants went through the main stages of a parliamentary debate and experienced, in a practical setting, how differing positions can be reconciled through argumentation and negotiation.

At the end of the activity, the director of the “Aristotel” Republican Theoretical Lyceum, Pavel Cerbusca, thanked the students for their involvement and described the simulation as a lesson in civic education, legal education and patriotism. He emphasized the importance of the parliament remaining an open institution for every citizen, including young people.

Held on the Professional of Education Workers, the simulation gave pupils the opportunity to turn their knowledge of democracy and the functioning of parliament into a practical experience, in which they had to support their arguments, listen to different opinions, negotiate and participate in decision-making. The activity was also inspired by the experience of the “LAW for YOU(th)” educational game, initiated by the parliament’s secretariat, in which pupils from the “Aristotel” Republican Theoretical Lyceum had previously participated.

Communication and Public Relations Directorate of Moldova’s Parliament