Financing the education sector in crisis situations from the perspective of consolidating the right to education

Abstract

The right to education has been strongly affirmed and incorporated in human rights treaties for a number of years. At the same time, grand declarations and commitments most often have not been realized as they are not equally covered by financial resources. The system of public education in the Republic of Moldova, being chronically underfinanced, eloquently demonstrates this statement. In the period 2007-2021, the ratio of education underfinancing in the Republic of Moldova was greatly emphasized by some crisis episodes, which affected macro-economic and financial stability. The economic effects of the war in Ukraine on the economy of the Republic of Moldova will put some pressure on the National State Budget, eventually affecting the capacity of education financing, both from the National State Budget’s funds and private household ones. From the theoretical-scientific point of view, the research has been carried out in the context of complex and systematic approach to contemporary economic and social concepts. Taking into account the complexity of social, economic and financial phenomena studied, it was necessary to combine quantitative and qualitative research methods. The way in which countries finance response to different trigger episodes of macroeconomic instability, including the actions taken for the purpose of minimising disruptions in the development of their educational sector, is, as a rule, determined by the fiscal area which is available to tackle crisis episodes and by the severity of fiscal impact of these episodes. In the Republic of Moldova, as well as in other countries, where intersectoral budget adjustments were not possible, it proved to be necessary to operate reallocations in the Education budget to provide protection of frontline services. Meanwhile, management of crisis situations turns the spotlight on the necessity to use public resources as efficiently and fairly as possible.