Training for future teachers to be reformed in Moldova: practical experience from first year, master’s degree tailored to specialization

University training programmes for future teachers, primary school teachers and educators will be reorganized, in order to place greater emphasis on pedagogical practice and on developing the skills needed in schools and kindergartens. The reform is expected to be implemented in September 2027 for students admitted in that academic year, following the completion of public consultations scheduled for the end of this year. Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun today made statements to this effect at a news conference.

The changes concern both the content of study programmes and the way future teachers will complete their practical training and progress from undergraduate to master’s studies. According to the authorities, the goal is for graduates to gain a better command of the subjects they will teach and to be able to adapt teaching methods to students’ needs.

“This is a major change in the way our teachers are trained, inspired and developed in consultation both with our colleagues from Austria, where we visited some time ago with rectors and deans of education faculties to learn from their experience in teacher training, and, of course, by Estonia’s valuable experience as well. Another element that must also be mentioned concerns better integration between undergraduate and master’s studies, so that there is clear continuity between what a young person learned during their undergraduate studies and the further development of those subject-specific skills within the master’s programme. We want to restrict the options available to a young graduate in pedagogy when choosing a master’s programme, with the aim of ensuring that the master’s degree complements, deepens and develops new skills that were not covered during the undergraduate programme, while remaining focused on the subject,” said Education and Research Minister Dan Perciun.

One of the central elements of the reform is the reorganization of pedagogical practice. The authorities intend to designate a limited number of schools that will become practice bases, where students will benefit from specialized guidance and better conditions for developing professional skills.

“It is equally important to ensure that this young person’s practical experience is a quality one, so that when they go to a school, things happen properly and they acquire the necessary skills. For this purpose, we will have a limited number of schools with the status of pedagogical practice bases, so that we can ensure the quality of this experience and the genuine development of pedagogical skills. We will designate them by ministerial order and invest additional resources in them. Teachers who supervise a student during practice will also be remunerated and receive additional financial support, but more importantly, they will be trained to understand how to work with these young people and support them during their first steps in a teaching career, while they are still university students,” Dan Perciun said.





The reform concept also provides for the revision of study plans, the updating of course content and better coordination between undergraduate and master’s programs, following a 3+2-year model. The final assessment of future teachers is to be organized in three stages, while pedagogical practice will begin in the first year of university.

Viorica Andritchi, who, together with the National Institute for Education and Leadership, is responsible for developing the reform concept, says that the changes are based on the skills a teacher needs in their day-to-day work.

“When we talk about teachers’ training, we can refer to curricula, credits, exams, and theses, but beyond all this, it is important to ask ourselves a question. What kind of teacher do we want to enter tomorrow the classroom where my child is learning? It was around this question that we built our concept for the initial training of teachers. We want to have well-trained teachers who know their subject well, but who can also help students understand that subject, adapt their teaching method to each child’s needs, analyze their own teaching practice and continuously improve it,” Viorica Andritchi said.





The reform follows measures aimed at attracting young people with strong academic results to teacher-training programmes. In 2026, scholarships for students enrolled in these programmes exceeded 4,000 lei, while the minimum admission average was raised from 6.5 to 7.

Public consultations on the new concept are expected to conclude at the end of 2026, while the changes are scheduled to be implemented in September 2027 for students who begin their university studies at that time.