dominican education is the worst among 15 latin countries

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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It is brutal. We have about 30 kids in summer school ,new inscriptions, trying to get them up to grade level for our school. Some are children with learning disabilities but the majority are just the result of poor teaching. When poor parents who can hardly make ends meet sacrifice a few thousand pesos to put their children into a school where they hope they can learn when they have the option of free school with meals you know the system is bad.
 

bachata

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Aug 18, 2007
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What about healf? Must be way behind....

JJ
 

Expat13

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Jun 7, 2008
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What about healf? Must be way behind....

JJ

Health and Education has been suppressed to keep the Oligarks in new jeepetas. When these uneducated poor see the rich driving these jeepetas they bow down in envy rather than disgust.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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It is brutal. We have about 30 kids in summer school ,new inscriptions, trying to get them up to grade level for our school. Some are children with learning disabilities but the majority are just the result of poor teaching. When poor parents who can hardly make ends meet sacrifice a few thousand pesos to put their children into a school where they hope they can learn when they have the option of free school with meals you know the system is bad.

i remember posting that the Cuban education system was regarded as being the best in Latin America, and you attacked me saying that the DR sytem was way better. now you assert that the system is woeful. tell us if you believe it has gotten worse than it was 5 years ago, which is about the time you said it was so great.
 

Dolores1

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DR1 Daily News -- 8 July 2016

DR does poorly in education quality study

Educa, the education-oriented non-governmental organization, released findings of a recent study that focused on the quality of education in the country. The conclusion is that while progress has been made, the DR continues to do poorly in academic achievement compared to the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. The study revealed the public school students in the country have not yet met minimum acceptable learning standards.

The findings, of the Third Terce regional study, Progresses in Education 2015, presented on 7 July 2016 by Educa, consisted of evaluations of students from 15 Latin American and the Caribbean nations.

In the study, the DR scored the lowest levels for reading, mathematics and sciences in third and sixth grade of regional countries. What makes these finding more troubling is that countries with lower levels of economic development and less average spending per student than the Dominican Republic, managed to score higher than the DR in the education assessments. However, the study did reveal that the Dominican Republic posted the highest percent improvement in academic achievement compared to the previous results. Since 2013, the government has been investing 4% of GDP in education, an increase of more than 70% compared to 2012.

The study confirms that the country has seen advances in universal access to elementary education and there is a progressive in the number of students attending high school.

The report recommends strengthening teacher training programs, including early childhood education modules. The Ministry of Education should conduct regular evaluations of their personnel and continue to increase access to early education, while expanding the model of the extended school day, especially in areas with a high percentage of families that are socially vulnerable.

Jose Marmol, president of Educa, alerted for the government to use the resources necessary to avoid that children that participate in the extended school programs perform the same as those that previously received less class hours.

The study was designed and prepared by Educa with technical and editorial support from the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C, the Inter-American Development Bank and the European Union AECID program.

http://www.educa.org.do/educa-lanza-estudio-sobre-progreso-educativo-2015/

http://acento.com.do/2016/actualida...ana-saca-malas-notas-educacion-segun-estudio/

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...or-a-la-de-15-paises-america-latina-FL4278061
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Main problem is the teachers are bad. Several have suggested that using technology could bypass the bad teachers. Dominicans are quick to adopt technology. Would be less costly and faster than trying to retrain the teachers. But the ADP most probably will be against that. Will have to see what happens. The extra money has gone into building new schools.
 

Expat13

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Jun 7, 2008
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Main problem is the teachers are bad. Several have suggested that using technology could bypass the bad teachers. Dominicans are quick to adopt technology. Would be less costly and faster than trying to retrain the teachers. But the ADP most probably will be against that. Will have to see what happens. The extra money has gone into building new schools.

Funny, many here have stated this obvious for years now. You can built a fancy car dealership and hire the street guys as mechanics and expect you have a Ford dealership as well. Or fill a hospital with uneducated people who slept in school for 5 years who have no clue about a sterile bacteria free environment-than call them Doctors...Its broken system that the Oligarchs do not want to fix. Why would they invest money to educate its people and therefore threaten their reign when its far easier to continue dummying down the people so 500 pesos and a pica pollo every 4 years is all they need to continue their ways.
 
Aug 21, 2007
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dv8 and Delores, I cannot thank you enough for posting these links. In my graduate work in global education, I have written extensively about the quality of education in the DR and have quoted the previous TERCE study countless times. You have saved me much time in further research work by posting these links.

My foundation Strength for the Journey was founded as a result of previous TERCE findings. We provide enrichment classes gratis to Dominican kids living in poverty. Although we don't teach specific subject matter, such as math and science, we teach thinking and problem solving skills which we found seriously lacking in public schools. Also, we have a children's lending library and hold story hour classes to teach the love of reading.

We realize that we are one small organization in Sosua and now, Jamao. We don't have the power to change the country. But we can change life's course and create capacities for a few.

Lindsey
 

bob saunders

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dv8 and Delores, I cannot thank you enough for posting these links. In my graduate work in global education, I have written extensively about the quality of education in the DR and have quoted the previous TERCE study countless times. You have saved me much time in further research work by posting these links.

My foundation Strength for the Journey was founded as a result of previous TERCE findings. We provide enrichment classes gratis to Dominican kids living in poverty. Although we don't teach specific subject matter, such as math and science, we teach thinking and problem solving skills which we found seriously lacking in public schools. Also, we have a children's lending library and hold story hour classes to teach the love of reading.

We realize that we are one small organization in Sosua and now, Jamao. We don't have the power to change the country. But we can change life's course and create capacities for a few.

Lindsey

Every little bit helps. Far better than doing nothing.
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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i remember posting that the Cuban education system was regarded as being the best in Latin America, and you attacked me saying that the DR sytem was way better. now you assert that the system is woeful. tell us if you believe it has gotten worse than it was 5 years ago, which is about the time you said it was so great.

Perhaps you should revisit what I said.
 
Aug 6, 2006
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When the parents are themselves illiterate, they cannot recognize readily that their kids are learning nothing useful. Education at is=ts best involves the parents.
 
Aug 21, 2007
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When the parents are themselves illiterate, they cannot recognize readily that their kids are learning nothing useful. Education at is=ts best involves the parents.

Exactly what we have learned. Parents in Jamao (not Sosua) come to register their children, but they cannot read or write to complete the forms. The child must complete the forms.

I don't like to make comparisons or generalizations, but in Sosua, the parents (whose work may be in illicit activities) do not become involved or appreciate the education we offer at no cost (art, ballet, karate, English, board games, countries of the world, outdoor recreation, learning on iPads, guitar, the children's library and story hour, etc.) Most parents I don't know, even though in January we had 90 children enrolled and attending classes.

In Jamao, where there are no jobs, where many of the parents can barely read and write, they ARE involved. They come to meetings. They write messages of thanks for the opportunity for their child to attend the class. They come asking for me to give classes for adults. Their children follow the rules, arriving on time, following directions, showing respect. If they cannot come, I receive an excuse message from a parent......not the case in Sosua.

It is as if we are operating in two different cultures.

What does this say for Sosua and its future? If it falls on the parents of Sosua's children, I would say there is not much hope. At some point, someone must lift up the bottom to improve the whole.

And that speaks for the entire country. To improve education, we need committed government representative, trained teachers, sufficient resources, involved parents, and a concerted effort to change the values to appreciate the opportunities that education provides. It is a worn out cliche, but it takes a village.

Just my opinion.

Lindsey
 
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bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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Most of our parents are literate, but yes there are some that can't read or sign their names. We find one of the biggest issues is having parents ensure their children do their homework or help them with it. We have some really good teachers, at teaching the basics. One parent told my wife that her daughter has learned more in the first 7 days of our summer-school than she learned in the past school year. Most of the children are capable of learning and want to learn.
 

ccarabella

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Feb 5, 2002
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Exactly what we have learned. Parents in Jamao (not Sosua) come to register their children, but they cannot read or write to complete the forms. The child must complete the forms.

I don't like to make comparisons or generalizations, but in Sosua, the parents (whose work may be in illicit activities) do not become involved or appreciate the education we offer at no cost (art, ballet, karate, English, board games, countries of the world, outdoor recreation, learning on iPads, guitar, the children's library and story hour, etc.) Most parents I don't know, even though in January we had 90 children enrolled and attending classes.

In Jamao, where there are no jobs, where many of the parents can barely read and write, they ARE involved. They come to meetings. They write messages of thanks for the opportunity for their child to attend the class. They come asking for me to give classes for adults. Their children follow the rules, arriving on time, following directions, showing respect. If they cannot come, I receive an excuse message from a parent......not the case in Sosua.

It is as if we are operating in two different cultures.

What does this say for Sosua and its future? If it falls on the parents of Sosua's children, I would say there is not much hope. At some point, someone must lift up the bottom to improve the whole.

And that speaks for the entire country. To improve education, we need committed government representative, trained teachers, sufficient resources, involved parents, and a concerted effort to change the values to appreciate the opportunities that education provides. It is a worn out cliche, but it takes a village.

Just my opinion.

Lindsey

Thank you for making a difference.