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Wöber – The Autonomy of Gagauzia
(with two groups) are functioning in Comrat. 184 Also, there is limited teaching
in Gagauz at the University of Comrat, where teaching in Russian
dominates. 185
MP Stoianoglu mentioned that a programme to address the language
problem so far could not be implemented because of the political instability.
Nobody was forced to learn Moldovan, but in order to have a career and work
for the state, knowing Moldovan was a necessity, as it was for those in the
field of higher education. Unfortunately, a clear state policy does not yet
exist. 186
In a recent 2012 report on linguistic rights of the Gagauz in Moldova
(“Implementation of Linguistic Rights of the Gagauz of Moldova: Integration
of the Gagauz Community into the Society of Moldova” by the Pilgrim-Demo
Youth Centre), the authors stated that Gagauzia was a Russian-language
autonomy and that there were serious contradictions between the Law of the
Republic of Moldova on Languages and the Law of Gagauz Yeri on Languages.
Furthermore, the Gagauz language was not a language of the passport system
in Moldova, thus violating the right to privacy of the Gagauz. 187 In conclusion,
the authors stated that the original purpose of the creation of Gagauzia,
namely to preserve and develop the Gagauz language and culture, as well as
to implement the linguistic and cultural rights of the Gagauz in Moldova, had
not been achieved. 188
3.1.4.2. Education
Education is closely linked to the question of language and is an important
factor of integration into the country. During the author’s field-research visit
to Moldova in 2011, a representative case of the connected problems of
language and education, and the integration of the Gagauz, was frequently
mentioned and in the daily headlines. In July a number students from
Gagauzia failed their final exams in the Romanian language and literature.
There were furious reactions in Comrat, with authorities blaming the
government for failing to deliver on a promise to increase funding and
improve the study of the state language in Gagauzia. 189 The Gagauz
184
Irina Vlah. This would be the wish of the parents, since the study of up to four languages was a
great hardship for children.
185
Hatlas and Zyromski, Power, Administration and Ethnic Minorities …, 88. See the university’s
website: Komrat Devlet Universiteti, at http://www.kdu.md/ – most of its content is in Russian.
Stepan Topal had pointed out that the rector of the university for the past years had been
appointed by Chisinau, and the local authorities were not included in this selection process. For the
first year, the university had run solely on local donations.
186
Alexandru Stoianoglu. He listed language as the main factor for the further integration of the
autonomy and for people to feel themselves as fully fledged citizens.
187
Pilgrim-Demo Youth Centre, Policy Brief “Implementation of Linguistic Rights of the Gagauz of
Moldova: Integration of the Gagauz Community into the Society of Moldova”, (Pilgrim-Demo Youth
Centre, Comrat, 2012). They stress that, however, no claims were made by the Gagauz concerning
this issue, and.
188
Ibid.
189
This situation concerned more than 100 pupils, and the fact that not many peers lived nearby that
spoke the state language as well as that qualified teachers were missing were mentioned as
problems in talks with Irina Vlah and Petru Vlah. The latter had the impression that once somebody
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