Schoolchildren enjoyed an unofficial holiday yesterday at public schools in Santo Domingo. Due to the policy recently adopted by the Ministry of Education, teachers are required to appear in person at district offices in order to collect their paychecks. Traditionally, teachers? paychecks have been distributed at the schools where they teach. The new policy, which also requires teachers to bring their educational credentials with them when they collect their checks is designed to ?eliminate payroll irregularities,? according to Ministry officials. Nevertheless, the measure proved less popular with teachers than with students. Secundino Bautista, who teaches at a school in the Ozama District said, ?the teaching suffers, the children loose out, and its a lot of trouble for the teachers who to give up their whole day to this.? At one district office, headquarters for some seventy schools, crowds of teachers assembled at 8:00 a.m., while check distribution began after 10:00 a.m. The Vice-Principal of the San Vicente de Paul School described the situation as ?terrible.?
