Curriculum is a powerful lever for supporting student learning and well-being, and for preparing students to thrive in and contribute to the future. It can help ensure consistent levels of quality across different types of education provision and age groups, thereby contributing to a more equitable education system. However, curriculum may also constrain the creativity and agency of students and teachers, particularly if it is overloaded or lacks flexibility to allow exploration of individual interests and purpose. Moreover, if a curriculum remains unchanged for extended periods, it may fail to reflect societal developments and lack the innovation needed to meet evolving needs.
The OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030/2040 project has shown that, in recent years, an increasing number of OECD countries have engaged in curriculum reviews to ensure education remains relevant. These experiences offer valuable opportunities for peer learning for education systems aiming to strengthen their capacity for curriculum design and implementation. The Republic of Moldova is among such countries as it seeks to move from an ad hoc approach to curriculum review towards a more planned and cyclical process.
Moldova considers education a national priority. The launch of the Education Development Strategy 2030 in 2023 gave renewed impetus to the country’s education reform agenda. In particular, the Strategy calls for a review of Moldova’s school curriculum to provide clear guidance that enables students to develop the competencies needed to thrive in the 21st century. It also emphasises the importance of strengthening the education system’s capacity for curriculum design and implementation to ensure that curriculum resources are of high quality and support meaningful change in classroom practice.
This report provides analysis and recommendations for the Ministry of Education and Research (MoER) of the Republic of Moldova as it implements the Education Development Strategy 2030. Drawing on international research and experience, as well as Moldova’s own efforts in curriculum reform, the report addresses six key questions related to the design and implementation of a curriculum review. It proposes a curriculum review cycle that reflects international good practice and is adapted to the Moldovan context. The proposal was presented to the MoER and the ministry’s Curriculum Working Group for validation and refinement based on their feedback. This proposal may also be of interest to other countries seeking to establish a more planned and cyclical process for curriculum review.
This publication is the first output of the technical assistance project “Support for the review of Moldova’s school curriculum”, funded by the European Union. The project is part of the OECD Education Policy Committee’s work on implementation reviews and technical assistance.