Children’s right to education must not be politicized, says OSCE report on Moldovan-administered Latin-script schools in Transdniestria

CHISINAU, 4 February 2013 – The OSCE Mission to Moldova and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities today published a report on the situation of the eight Moldovan-administered, Latin-script schools in Transdniestria.

It is compiled from field research, including meetings with school directors, local authorities, Moldovan authorities and de facto authorities, as well as in-depth analysis of prior negotiation documents. The report also contains a number of recommendations, including on a simplified procedure for basic co-ordination of educational activities between Moldovan and Transdniestrian sides.

“This report is for the decision-makers on both banks of the Dniestr River to help them in finding a mutually acceptable solution to this longstanding and complex issue,” said Ambassador Jennifer Brush, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. "Progress on the school issue would advance one of the main goals of the settlement process, which is to help resolve problems that affect everyday lives of the people.”

“Achieving such progress requires concessions on both sides,” she added. “The goal is to protect the rights of the children to choose the language of their instruction, and this goal should always be kept in mind.”

Brush underlined that proposed recommendations would not affect the schools curricula.

Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, said: “For a long time I have been concerned with the situation in these schools and I hope this report will help the sides to find a solution that would allow the schools to function until the final settlement of the conflict is achieved”.

“It is in the interest of all the parties to make sure that the children growing up on both banks of the river have access to the best possible education,” he added. “The children’s right to education should not be politicized.”

The report is available on the webpages of the OSCE Mission to Moldova at //www.osce.org/moldova/99058 and of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities at  //www.osce.org/hcnm/documents.