Sosua's Gregorio Luperon School Expanding

Ken

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From today's Sosua News:

In early December of this year, it is supposed to be ready. The new building for the primary school 'General Gregorio Luper?n' located in Calle David Stern in El Batey, Sos?a. It is now in an advanced stage. There has been built a complete new school next to the existing school, complete with auditorium, classrooms, kitchen, dining room, activity room and staff room. The idea is that from the beginning of December, the students receive a doubling in teaching hours. At this time, the obsolete furniture has been replaced by new tables and chairs.

The new furniture will give the students a better comfort so that they can participate more concentrated in education. The students will also be offered a free breakfast and lunch from December. Many students often come to school hungry because their parents are too poor to prepare them a breakfast. Studies show again and again that hungry children appear to have less attention to the lessons. So thanks to President Danilo Medina everything will turn out just fine in December.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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From today's Sosua News:

In early December of this year, it is supposed to be ready. The new building for the primary school 'General Gregorio Luper?n' located in Calle David Stern in El Batey, Sos?a. It is now in an advanced stage. There has been built a complete new school next to the existing school, complete with auditorium, classrooms, kitchen, dining room, activity room and staff room. The idea is that from the beginning of December, the students receive a doubling in teaching hours. At this time, the obsolete furniture has been replaced by new tables and chairs.

The new furniture will give the students a better comfort so that they can participate more concentrated in education. The students will also be offered a free breakfast and lunch from December. Many students often come to school hungry because their parents are too poor to prepare them a breakfast. Studies show again and again that hungry children appear to have less attention to the lessons. So thanks to President Danilo Medina everything will turn out just fine in December.

do we need studies to prove that hungry kids pay less attention to schoolwork?
 

ramesses

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3 floors high with a bank of windows right in the prime foul ball area of the baseball field. It should give the kids something to cheer for (aim for). LOL

Seriously, it is good to see the government invest in education.
 

bob saunders

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Thus is so throughout the country. There many of these new schools with improved facilities however the classrooms have no fans so will be hotter than hell by ten am, and almost unbearable in the afternoon. I hope their Tanda Extenda will be better than last year where they just took extended lunch hours and provided no extra learning.
We lost a few children to the public schools, main for economic reasons, but we've gained a couple of dozen children of public school teachers....mmmm
 
Aug 21, 2007
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Bob, I am concerned, too, about the schools and teachers not having knowledge, skills, and resources to provide additional learning along with the additional hours. The kids we work with tell me that teachers say some of the additional time is planned to be used for homework sessions. This could be valuable, but more is needed beyond that.

I recently read in the news that the DR government has future plans to provide technology, sports, and music. This, too. would be great (when it actually happens.) However, Dominican Republic results on SERCE, a standardized test measuring math and reading skills in Latin American countries, place the country below all other Latin American countries.

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001610/161045e.pdf

Thus, I would say education's top priorities should be insuring all students' reading and math skills are on par and academic achievement in other subject areas is sufficiently adequate that the majority of 8th graders can pass the Puebas Nacionales to enter high school.

El 49% de los alumnos de media no pasa las pruebas nacionales - listindiario.com

There is still a long way to go......

~ Lindsey
 

the gorgon

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Bob, I am concerned, too, about the schools and teachers not having knowledge, skills, and resources to provide additional learning along with the additional hours. The kids we work with tell me that teachers say some of the additional time is planned to be used for homework sessions. This could be valuable, but more is needed beyond that.

I recently read in the news that the DR government has future plans to provide technology, sports, and music. This, too. would be great (when it actually happens.) However, Dominican Republic results on SERCE, a standardized test measuring math and reading skills in Latin American countries, place the country below all other Latin American countries.

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001610/161045e.pdf

Thus, I would say education's top priorities should be insuring all students' reading and math skills are on par and academic achievement in other subject areas is sufficiently adequate that the majority of 8th graders can pass the Puebas Nacionales to enter high school.

El 49% de los alumnos de media no pasa las pruebas nacionales - listindiario.com

There is still a long way to go......

~ Lindsey

i have spent a short while making a cursory examination of the data represented in these charts. would i be correct in concluding that Cuba might have a better education system than the DR, at least insofar as preparation for such testing goes?
 

dv8

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additional note: i see lots of similarities with DR and post war poland, in terms of education situation. apart from a massive (and very successful) alfabetizacion plan polish government also built lots of schools. 1000 of them to be precise. my primary school was the first of the 1000 that was finished and opened. anyways, now those schools are being closed because with better education there is also a lot lower number of kids. so i am skeptical about all those new schools...
 

the gorgon

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additional note: i see lots of similarities with DR and post war poland, in terms of education situation. apart from a massive (and very successful) alfabetizacion plan polish government also built lots of schools. 1000 of them to be precise. my primary school was the first of the 1000 that was finished and opened. anyways, now those schools are being closed because with better education there is also a lot lower number of kids. so i am skeptical about all those new schools...

my skepticism lies in the question regarding who is going to do the teaching...
 
Aug 21, 2007
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my skepticism lies in the question regarding who is going to do the teaching...

Qualified, trained teachers are the first step. Even in the US, when schools expand the school day, first teachers are trained how to use the time effectively. "Time on task" is a second concern. When I did teacher observations and evaluations, we started a stop watch when class was supposed to begin and timed how many minutes were lost until the teacher actually began teaching.

Likewise, we timed whether the teacher taught until the bell or whether he/she quit 5 or 10 minutes prior, allowing the students to "pack up." Ten minutes of wasted time in each class each day amounts to almost an hour a week. If every class wastes 10 minutes a day, you are losing about one day of learning time each week. It adds up. And it is valuable learning time.

Now, if teachers don't know how to use time effectively and teach, then lengthening the school day will make no difference.

~ Lindsey
 

bob saunders

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Qualified, trained teachers are the first step. Even in the US, when schools expand the school day, first teachers are trained how to use the time effectively. "Time on task" is a second concern. When I did teacher observations and evaluations, we started a stop watch when class was supposed to begin and timed how many minutes were lost until the teacher actually began teaching.

Likewise, we timed whether the teacher taught until the bell or whether he/she quit 5 or 10 minutes prior, allowing the students to "pack up." Ten minutes of wasted time in each class each day amounts to almost an hour a week. If every class wastes 10 minutes a day, you are losing about one day of learning time each week. It adds up. And it is valuable learning time.

Now, if teachers don't know how to use time effectively and teach, then lengthening the school day will make no difference.

~ Lindsey

True if enough but the Finns have proven quality is more important than quantity.
 

the gorgon

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Qualified, trained teachers are the first step. Even in the US, when schools expand the school day, first teachers are trained how to use the time effectively. "Time on task" is a second concern. When I did teacher observations and evaluations, we started a stop watch when class was supposed to begin and timed how many minutes were lost until the teacher actually began teaching.

Likewise, we timed whether the teacher taught until the bell or whether he/she quit 5 or 10 minutes prior, allowing the students to "pack up." Ten minutes of wasted time in each class each day amounts to almost an hour a week. If every class wastes 10 minutes a day, you are losing about one day of learning time each week. It adds up. And it is valuable learning time.

Now, if teachers don't know how to use time effectively and teach, then lengthening the school day will make no difference.

~ Lindsey

very interesting. i was reading some research by some scholars regarding education in Latin America, and it revealed that up to 25% of classroom time is wasted in just trying to maintain order.
 

bob saunders

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I used to think that the teachers, including my wife were too hard on the three and four year olds, forcing them to put their
heads on the desks and walk with their hands behind their backs...etc, but after watching what happens when there is a teacher with poor control I fully understand why. When we get a kid from the public school system that is often the biggest challenge, the behavior issues. Dominican culture in general is unorganized and disorderly so to expect the school system to be different would be unrealistic. Educating the parents is harder than educating the children.