All children in full-day public schools by 2016

[bronzeallspice]

Monte Plata, Dominican Republic.- President Danilo Medina on Sunday said the government plans to have all children in full-day public schools by 2016, which in his view is a milestone in the country?s education.

He said in addition to improving the quality of Dominican Republic?s education, the measure will also boost the domestic agro sector, with higher demand for milk, cheese and other products.

Speaking to the La Altagracia Cattlemen's Association, Medina urged them to prepare to meet the demand for agro products with the expansion of the Full-Day Schools. "The number of students in the Extended School Day will be increased to one million in December this year, and we hope will be all children by 2016."

He said when he began his visits to rural areas to promote credit, most adults were saying their children didn?t want to work because there was no future in farming, "but we have shown that it is possible to live off agriculture."

"Undoubtedly, and yes you can live off agriculture; especially now with the increased demand posed by the Extended School Day."

As an example the Head of State put the Sabana Grande de Boya (east) farmers themselves, who currently sell all the milk they produce to the school breakfasts, at good prices.

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/ec...l-children-in-full-day-public-schools-by-2016

 

[zoomzx11]

Excellent idea educationally plus it makes lots of moms very happy. As an aside. There does seem to be an increase in teachers entering the public school system and quitting the private for profit schools or what Ol Canadian Republican Bob called it "getting on the gravy train". Who knows but someday those teacher will be able to afford to drive their own car to work. Those kids may lern redding and rittin yet if this good stuff keeps up.

 

[bronzeallspice]

Catholic schools to operate as public schools


The Ministry of Education and the Conference of the Dominican Episcopate signed a framework agreement yesterday, Thursday 10 December 2015, opening the way for 130,000 children to study at Catholic schools free of charge. The agreement was signed by Minister of Education Carlos Amarante Baret and the president of the Dominican Episcopate, Monsignor Gregorio Nicanor Pena Rodriguez under the premise that education is public and free, with the added value of religious instruction in schools belonging to or administered by the Church.

The agreement establishes that 300 schools under the Catholic Church will operate as public schools in administrative and educational aspects.

The agreement establishes that the Ministry of Education will pay the schoolteachers, administration and support staff, and will include the staff of the Catholic schools in training programs implemented by the Ministry.

While Catholic schools would be run under the public school umbrella, the agreement also establishes a category of public schools that would be managed by Catholic educational and administrative staff.


Source DR1 News:

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2015/12/11/escuelas-catolicas-funcionaran-como-las-publicas

http://eldia.com.do/educacion-y-epi...rtir-docencia-gratuita-en-escuelas-catolicas/

 

[Xavier_Onassis]

The school year started in Barahona about two months late, as one school building was under construction and another was being repaired. All classes are on a half day schedule in the public schools.
It would be wonderful if they actually implement this in 2016, but I will be very surprised if it happens in Barahona.
And the small town and country schools seem to be, according to what I read on various blogs in much worse shape.
There seems to be no school lunch program: every kid brings his lunch.

I get the impression that public services in Barahona are inferior to what people get in the more prosperous parts of the country like the capital, La Vega, Santiago and even San Pedro.

 

[Andrea Duguay]

Half the kids on my street do not even go to school. I thought it was mandatory?

 

[AlterEgo]

Half the kids on my street do not even go to school. I thought it was mandatory?

Sometimes the parents can't afford the mandatory uniforms.

Also, if there is still two-session school there, it may seem as if they don't go to school because it's only half day, either morning or afternoon, so still kids around all the time.

For the first time ever, kids where we live go full day, new school opened last school year. They get breakfast and lunch for free, but many kids refuse to eat it because they say it's so terrible.

 

[Andrea Duguay]

Sometimes the parents can't afford the mandatory uniforms.

Also, if there is still two-session school there, it may seem as if they don't go to school because it's only half day, either morning or afternoon, so still kids around all the time.

For the first time ever, kids where we live go full day, new school opened last school year. They get breakfast and lunch for free, but many kids refuse to eat it because they say it's so terrible.

Ok, that makes sense. I think it is great that they also provide breakfast and lunch!

 

[the gorgon]

Sometimes the parents can't afford the mandatory uniforms.

Also, if there is still two-session school there, it may seem as if they don't go to school because it's only half day, either morning or afternoon, so still kids around all the time.

For the first time ever, kids where we live go full day, new school opened last school year. They get breakfast and lunch for free, but many kids refuse to eat it because they say it's so terrible.

i watch these kid 6 and 7 years old running out of school at 6.30 and 7 pm. i remember when i was a kid, at earlier hours than those, my brain was done for the day.

 

[AlterEgo]

i watch these kid 6 and 7 years old running out of school at 6.30 and 7 pm. i remember when i was a kid, at earlier hours than those, my brain was done for the day.

They might have started at 2 or 3, those half sessions have odd hours sometimes.

 

[Xavier_Onassis]

I think they are running three sessions a day in Barahona. 7-11, 12-4 and 6-10 or something like that.
As for school being mandatory, there are more children than places for children, so if you try to register them late, or are at the end of the line, you have to send them to a private school. The responsibility is with the parents.

 

[bob saunders]

All I can say is a great deal of the children we have in our school are the children of public school teachers and administrators. The largest school here in Jarabacoa is the Catholic High School and it as well as all the other public schools, including the new ones are full. One of our former teachers, that kept her daughter at the school, says she has a class of grade three students that don't know how to divide or multiply and many can't read, so obviously more than new schools is required.
Half of the teachers that apply for jobs at the school are out performed on the exams my wife gives them by the grade six students.
Many children require one-on-one if they are behind or have learning disabilities. They don't get that at public schools. My friend Francelis , an accountant, just got accepted as a math teacher in the Public system. I hope the poor girl doesn't get pulled down to the level of attitude that the majority of the public school teachers have. She is a very bright lady with teaching ability.

 

[ccarabella]

There is a private school (Catholic) in Moca where my bff and most well to do folks send their kids.
The tuition has dropped to $500 pesos each because of the government funding and our local
baker is in charge of providing the meals to the school. The kids stay until 4pm and now every kid is eligible to attend this school (pending availability). It"s caused quite an uproar and many parents are removing theirchildren because they do not want their kids to attend school with poorer families that can now afford the $500dop.

I think it's a great step forward for the educational system and the country as a whole.
I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to follow.

 

[the gorgon]

There is a private school (Catholic) in Moca where my bff and most well to do folks send their kids.
The tuition has dropped to $500 pesos each because of the government funding and our local
baker is in charge of providing the meals to the school. The kids stay until 4pm and now every kid is eligible to attend this school (pending availability). It"s caused quite an uproar and many parents are removing theirchildren because they do not want their kids to attend school with poorer families that can now afford the $500dop.

I think it's a great step forward for the educational system and the country as a whole.
I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to follow.

it is sad to see that Dominican society is still in the 19th century..but it is.

 

[bob saunders]

There is a private school (Catholic) in Moca where my bff and most well to do folks send their kids.
The tuition has dropped to $500 pesos each because of the government funding and our local
baker is in charge of providing the meals to the school. The kids stay until 4pm and now every kid is eligible to attend this school (pending availability). It"s caused quite an uproar and many parents are removing theirchildren because they do not want their kids to attend school with poorer families that can now afford the $500dop.

I think it's a great step forward for the educational system and the country as a whole.
I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to follow.

I don't disagree but tell me, how do you see this as a great step forward for the education system? I'll bet most of the politicians will send their kids to expensive private schools.

 

[ccarabella]

I don't disagree but tell me, how do you see this as a great step forward for the education system? I'll bet most of the politicians will send their kids to expensive private schools.

What I see as a step forward is the mandatory schooling and the investment in education
(not the private vs public deal). Kids will have a longer school day than before and parents will have more schooling options if more schools come onboard.
Making it officially mandatory to attend school is going to give children a better chance
at education. I only hope the longer school day is curriculum based and not just
an after school program (place to hang out after school).

 

[D.Rep]

The main problem is that they need to send first most of the teachers to school.
I had some discussions and I think some of them should not teach at all with the knoledge they have, but maybe I was talking always to the wrong persons.

 

[dv8]

So what is offered for breakfast? Boiled platanos?

bread and chocolate milk, regular milk or juice. i guess it depends on a supplier.

 

[arturo]

I'm sorry to have to say this. Among influential circles, there is very little interest in educating the population - because an educated population would not tolerate the official abuses that benefit a tiny grupito.

What I see as a step forward is the mandatory schooling and the investment in education
(not the private vs public deal). Kids will have a longer school day than before and parents will have more schooling options if more schools come onboard.
Making it officially mandatory to attend school is going to give children a better chance
at education. I only hope the longer school day is curriculum based and not just
an after school program (place to hang out after school).

 

[the gorgon]

I'm sorry to have to say this. Among influential circles, there is very little interest in educating the population - because an educated population would not tolerate the official abuses that benefit a tiny grupito.

that says it all. educated people are a pain in the ass for politicians.

 

[bob saunders]

What I see as a step forward is the mandatory schooling and the investment in education
(not the private vs public deal). Kids will have a longer school day than before and parents will have more schooling options if more schools come onboard.
Making it officially mandatory to attend school is going to give children a better chance
at education. I only hope the longer school day is curriculum based and not just
an after school program (place to hang out after school).

School has always been mandatory in the DR.
As far as the full day schools my only information is from former students of ours, that mostly want to come back, especially the serious students. They say there is no organization, no control, students come and go as they please ( I'm talking about high school) and teachers are often late or absent. I think the injection of professionals that are engineers, accountants, lawyers...etc into the system is actually a good thing. Most of them are better educated than the current crop of teachers.