Criminal record certificate and psychiatric clearance for anyone working with children: what the proposed law changes in Ungheni's schools — and why it is contested
A bill from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, now in first reading in Parliament, seeks to bar from working with children anyone convicted of offences against them — but also those under criminal proceedings, with suspension from duty as soon as prosecution begins. At every hiring in a school, kindergarten, sports club or camp, a detailed criminal record certificate, a sworn declaration and a psychiatric certificate would become mandatory. In the Ungheni district, the measure affects a network of over 1,270 teachers — at a moment when the district is entering the new year with dozens of vacant posts. The bill has firm backing from the Ombudsman for children's rights, but also two serious objections: the presumption of innocence and the risk of stigmatising people who ever consulted a psychiatrist.