Schools across the Republic of Moldova are marking the end of the academic year this May with a series of curricular and extracurricular activities as part of the “10 days of Education for Universal Human Values”. Pupils throughout the country have taken part in reflection workshops, debates, board games and creative activities designed to deepen their understanding of human dignity, peaceful coexistence and respect for diversity.

In the 2025-2026 academic year, the Republic of Moldova’s education system has placed particular emphasis on promoting democratic values and social cohesion through initiatives such as “Values That Unite Us” and “Moldova That Unites Us”. The programme aims to equip pupils with the competencies to recognise and respect the dignity of every individual, embrace diversity and engage actively in community life, guided by the principles of justice, equality and equity.

“Closing the school year with the '10 days of Education for Universal Human Values' reaffirms the role of schools in nurturing respect for human dignity and building a society grounded in peace and mutual understanding,” said Corina Lungu, Head of the General Education Policy Directorate within the Ministry of Education and Research.

The methodological and teaching resources used throughout the 10-day period were developed with the support of the Council of Europe, as part of the project “Education for Democracy in the Republic of Moldova”. The Council of Europe also organised online training workshops for teaching staff, in which approximately 3,900 teachers and school managers participated.

At Vasile Coroban Theoretical Lyceum, teacher Ion Căciulă noted that the activities had a positive impact on relations between pupils and on the overall school climate. “The initiatives helped foster an environment built on values such as peace, truth, goodness and beauty, whilst encouraging inclusion, reflection on the learning process and pupils' awareness of the lessons they have acquired,” he said.

Similar activities took place at Făleștii Noi Gymnasium in Fălești district. Teacher Natalia Popov highlighted that these activities gave pupils “the opportunity to discover and appreciate cultural diversity, promoting respect, tolerance and friendship between peoples”, adding that through practical exercises, they came to understand how values can be integrated within a group by acknowledging the dignity and rights of every child.

Throughout the current academic year, schools across the country have organised six thematic decades aimed at promoting national, intercultural and universal values, whilst developing pupils’ competencies for a democratic culture.

The Council of Europe provided support in developing the methodological and teaching resources for three of those set of activities: the “10 days of Education for National Values” (September 2025), the “10 days of Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights” (December 2025), and the “10 days of Education for Universal Human Values” (May 2026). In addition, the Council of Europe has trained more than 10,000 teaching staff in the practical application of these resources within the educational process.