Ungheni district will have its own agency administering schools. On 21 October, the Government approved the establishment of 34 territorial agencies for education, subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Research, and one of them is the Ungheni Territorial Agency for Education, headquartered in the municipality of Ungheni.
From 1 January 2027, the agency becomes the founder of the primary schools, gymnasiums, lyceums and special education institutions in the district, replacing the District Council. Kindergartens and extracurricular institutions remain with the local authorities, the Government announced.
One agency per district, not a shared one
When the “Restart in Education” reform was approved in July, it was not yet known whether Ungheni would get its own agency: the territorial allocation was to be set by a Government decision.
The explanatory note to the draft decision shows that the ministry analyzed several options: a single agency, five agencies, between 10 and 12 agencies, or one for each district and municipality. The last option was chosen. Apart from the 34 approved by the Government, the agency for ATU Gagauzia is to be created by the People’s Assembly.
How many staff the Ungheni agency has
According to the table in the explanatory note, the Ungheni Territorial Agency for Education will have 24 staff positions. At present, the district subdivisions being reorganized have 26 positions. The estimated budget for the staff costs of the agency’s apparatus is 4.75 million lei, calculated at 2025 levels.
The 825 positions planned for all the agencies do not include school transport and student dormitory staff, who are taken over in full, the document specifies.
Of the 32 districts in the table, only four get agencies larger than Ungheni’s: Orhei (29 positions), Soroca (27), Briceni and Edineț (25 each). Cahul, Florești and Hîncești have 24 each, like Ungheni. The smallest district agency, Basarabeasca, has 14 positions, while the one in Chișinău has 121.
What comes next
According to the draft published on gov.md, the decision enters into force upon publication in the Official Gazette, except for the provision on founder status, which applies from 1 January 2027. The Ministry of Education and Research is to approve, for each agency, the structure, regulation, staff limit and list of institutions it takes over.
The agency directors will be selected by competition, for five-year terms, at most twice. Civil servants of the current district education directorates may be transferred to vacant positions in the agencies, according to the Government’s press release.
The Minister of Education and Research, Dan Perciun, stated:
The place where a student was born should not decide their future. Through this reform, we take on the responsibility of ensuring every student access to a quality school, with trained teachers, support and safe learning conditions. Whether they study in the capital or in a small village, every child deserves the same chance. Dan Perciun, Minister of Education and Research
The agencies’ activity will be funded from the state budget, within existing financial limits, the Government specifies.