The Minister of Education, Mirela Kumbaro, has reacted with concern to the events of the last two days near and inside the Ministry of Education building, condemning the acts of violence and the destruction of public property. Kumbaro emphasizes that the right to protest is a democratic right that must be respected, but underlines that it cannot justify physical clashes and damage to institutions.
Focusing on the relationship between the student protest and acts of violence, the minister states that these are two completely different things, guaranteeing that the institution she leads will continue to be open to communication with students, universities, parents and all those who seek solutions through dialogue.
Kumbaro announced that the violence caused severe damage to the Ministry of Education building, where the first floor was burned, damaging the material base and documents, while the premises cannot be used until they are repaired. However, she assured that the staff remains on duty and that the institution will continue to fulfill its responsibilities.
In her response, the minister also brought attention to financial support for students, emphasizing that over 12 thousand students from families in economic difficulties benefit from financial support each year, over 40 thousand benefit from reduced fees or exemption from study fees, while excellent students and those attending priority programs are supported with scholarships and monthly payments.
In conclusion, Kumbaro calls on students to not allow anyone to push them towards acts of violence, emphasizing that the future is built through knowledge, argument, and responsibility.
The full reaction of the Minister of Education, Mirela Kumbaro:
We are following with great concern what has happened these past two days around and inside the Ministry of Education building and in other institutions. Regardless of who is protesting and what they are protesting for, it is difficult to see situations where physical clashes and destruction of property take the place of the Word, replacing argument and dialogue.
As a university student who has protested myself whenever the need arose to use this democratic right earned through sacrifices, I have the utmost respect for the right of students to demand more and more from institutions, but student civic protests and
violence against public buildings and property;
violence against the workplace of public employees, even more so against Education employees, have no connection to each other! This dividing line must remain clear to everyone.
The Ministry of Education, although severely damaged by the violence of the last few hours, has been and will be an open door for communication with universities, with students, with parents and with anyone who builds dialogue, as we have always done. We listen to concerns and consider proposals together, without prejudice and without turning disagreements into clashes. Today's acts of destruction do not represent the relationship of the Ministry of Education with students.
Beyond the investments that have been made and will continue in every university in the country,
Every year, over 12 thousand students from families in difficulty receive financial support for their studies;
Over 40 thousand students receive reduced fees or exemption from study fees;
Hundreds of excellent students and those who follow priority programs that the country needs receive scholarships and monthly support in the amount of the minimum wage of 500 euros!
I am convinced that students cannot destroy their institutions and public and private property. Students cannot destroy their own home. In an institution where one can normally enter for dialogue through the door, there is no need to break windows and burn offices.
Despite the fact that the first floor of the Ministry of Education has burned down, damaging not only the material base but also documents, making it unusable until it is repaired, the staff of the Ministry of Education is on duty and the Ministry of Education will have its doors open as always, because institutions are created by people and people know how to speak and communicate, and who better than students and teachers can do this.
Bars that break windows do not solve any problem, just as paving stones do not build the future; we build it in auditoriums, with vision, with knowledge, with arguments, and with responsibility.
Dear students, take care of yourselves and do not let anyone push you towards acts of violence. Your voice is valuable only when it is heard through ideas and arguments!
