For the third consecutive year, the Council of Europe has supported the development of teaching materials for the first lesson of the new school year in Moldova, helping students explore democratic values and their role in the country’s development.
The 2026–2027 first lesson, entitled “The Independence that Unites Us”, marks the 35th anniversary of Moldova’s declaration of independence. It aims to help students understand Moldova’s path to independence and the central role played by democratic values and principles in this process.
More than 330,000 primary and secondary school students across Moldova took part in the lesson, reflecting on independence and statehood not only as historical events, but as an ongoing process to which every generation contributes.
The lesson was developed in line with the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture and highlighted values at the heart of democratic societies, including human dignity, rights and responsibilities, peace, solidarity, civic participation, justice and the rule of law.
To help teachers bring the lesson into the classroom, the Council of Europe worked closely with the Ministry of Education and Research, education experts and practitioners to develop lesson plans for all grades in primary and secondary education (see in Romanian and Russian).
To support their use in practice, the Council of Europe also organised a series of online workshops, giving teachers the opportunity to explore the materials, exchange experiences and discuss practical approaches to delivering the lessons. More than 3,000 teachers took part in these sessions, helping ensure that the initiative reached classrooms across the country.
The initiative builds on two previous collaborations between the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Education and Research of Moldova. The first lesson of the 2024–2025 school year focused on “Together for Peace”, while the 2025–2026 school year opened with “The Values that Unite Us.”
The annual first lesson forms part of the Council of Europe’s broader work to promote education for democracy in the Republic of Moldova and provides an important opportunity for schools to strengthen their role in preparing students to become active and engaged citizens.
The Council of Europe project “Education for Democracy in the Republic of Moldova" is implemented within the Council of Europe – Republic of Moldova Action Plans 2021-2024 and 2025-2028. Switzerland is one of the donor countries to the Action Plan and the key donor in the field of education for democracy. The project is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova.
