Does corruption affect the freedom of association and the right to free education? Forced contributions through parents’ associations and foundations.

Participants to the broadcast: Lilia Ionita, Expert / lawyer of the Centre for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption (CAPC), Iurie Ciorba, Head of the Division of the Department for Combating Economic Crime of the Centre for Combating Economic Crime and Corruption (CCECC), Vasilisa Iluta; Head of Pre-university Management Division of the Directorate General of Education, Youth and Sports (DGEYS) of Chisinau municipality.

INTRODUCTION:

Today, on 1 September, perhaps is the very timely moment to approach to a topic related to the school. We all comprehend the situation of schools and kindergartens, low wages of teachers and educators, massive exodus of people abroad, including teachers, in search of better paid jobs. Thus, to help schools poorly secured and abandoned by teachers, parents in the 90s began to unite in parental associations in order to financially support schools and kindergartens through additional funds. Today, educational institutions continue to heavily depend on such aid. Unfortunately, cash contributions to school and kindergarten have recently lost its unconstrained character; parents do not provide this support because they chose to do so, but on the contrary - because they no longer have a choice. Many parents do not even suspect that they are members of some parent associations, but all know that they have to pay: to the foundation, and repair, and for the birthdays of the director and teachers, etc.

QUESTIONS

1. Pushing parents to give money is it a form of corruption? How do you think, freedom of association is it injured in such a way?

2. The Constitution of our country stipulates that state education in the Republic of Moldova is free. What does this mean that when we take children to school we have to pay for textbooks, current and capital repairs, teachers’ salaries and still more?

3. School administration is somehow involved in parental associations? I do not understand why the money of associations is often collected through the class teachers and educators.

4. Let us take some examples from the CAPC hotline that I would ask you to comment:

  • a person has communicated that for the registration of his son to school he was forced, along with other parents, to pay some 3000 MDL for school repair, and threatened that otherwise, their children will not be admitted to school. In another case, in order to register a child in a public school the administration has requested 1700 MDL.
  • parent of a student had announced that professor of physics determined students to require "additional" lessons charged at 50 MDL per day. 18 students are attracted in these “additional” lessons, that is most of the class. The refusal of others to pay the "additional" lessons causes inadequate negative attitude towards them.
  • the teacher of physics of one of the lyceum asks the students to collect at least some 20 MDL in order to help her purchase a personal computer. Students are required to draw up lists of those who gave money and submit lists to the teacher, or otherwise they are being informed that they will have problems.
  • the sister of a student had announced us that the teacher of Romanian claims various gifts from the students (e.g. mobile phone).

However the payments made in the foundation differ. The fixed size amounts paid monthly differ from sums accrued occasionally (for repairs, gifts, children's registration in school, etc.) or in all of the above examples is the money of parent associations?

5. In the above examples we have seen many times that children are directly involved in collection of money while in kindergarten and school.

Children understand that the kindness of teachers and educators, the success at school can be gained not necessarily by knowledge but also purchased for money and gifts. Besides educational programme, children learn to be corrupt first at school and later in life. The corruption in the system of education does it constitute a particular moral issue?

6. Has CCECC a practical example of calling to account of those responsible for forced collection of money in the parent associations and if so, what penalties have been applied?

7. What should you do if you are constrained to pay the money to parents’ association or give money for other purposes for your child who goes to school or kindergarten?