The Republic of Moldova adhered to the Bologna Process on Higher Education on 1 September 2005. The Ministry of Culture elaborated the Education Code, which contains new drafts of laws referring to arts education. Several arts education institutions have been accredited: College of Fine Arts “Al.Plamadeala”, College of Music “St. Neaga”, National College of Choreography, and the schools of art in Soroca and Balti.
Unfortunately, the whole reform project in education has collapsed. The system, in terms of the Bologna process, was found to be inefficient and non-functioning in Moldova.
One example is visual arts education, where all measures taken to adhere to the Bologna process have been insufficient, as they do not meet European standards and values regarding the promotion of visual art and profound reform is necessary of the entire set of values and principles concerning the creative act.
The education system needs to introduce visual arts practices with reference to current trends, techniques and new media at all levels, expanding and rewriting the entire curriculum. It is compulsory to create a methodological system that meets European standards.
In the view of most lecturers from the art departments in Moldova, the system is not compatible with the Bologna process for other reasons also: the qualifications of lecturers in the education system are outdated, the curriculum is obsolete simply because it is based on Marxist aesthetics which has been, and still is, tributary to the system of values based on socialist realism. As a result, graduates of higher education institutions are often very poorly prepared and further efforts are needed on training, and retraining, to bring them up to the current practice standards and values of contemporary art and culture.
The training level of the lecturers, as well as the quality of the educational programmes in the educational process, is very low in general. Professors and lecturers are not trained in new practices, nor is there a system of teacher training courses. A democratisation of the educational system is necessary for students as they haven’t got the right to choose, but instead are constantly under the pressure of the teacher. The reform of the system needs to introduce the use of new technologies (Internet, new media) in the training of artists as well as lecturers. Support also needs to be provided for initiatives of artists and professors in the educational system reform.
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