Education Minister Ángel Hernández has asserted that the foundation has been laid to strengthen the future of Dominican education. A series of measures, he said, will ensure that children learn to read and write correctly by the end of third grade, that high school graduates are well-prepared for university, and that the quality of vocational schools is elevated.
Minister of Education has announced his Horizon 2034 Education Plan for inclusive, equitable, and quality education that ensures access, progression, and the timely completion of pre-university education and the achievement of relevant and meaningful learning.
“We have a new approved curriculum, new textbooks, we are equipping vocational schools, we have a new evaluation system approved, there is a code of ethics, and we are purchasing laboratories,” the government official stated.
Hernández further assured that “we have a code of conduct to ensure peace in schools and have doubled the investment in teacher training.” He added: “These are the foundations of what education could look like in the next 10 years.”
While the Minister focuses on quality in education, the ruling party political leadership in Santiago, the second largest city, feels differently. Rosa Santos rejected the choice for school district direction made by the Ministry, arguing that those chosen are not PRM militants, as reported in Diario Libre.
On Monday, 16 December 2024, Rosa Santos went on record complaining that the echelons of the party were not consulted before the Ministry of Education named new directors for the education districts in the Dominican Republic. She understands the party is in power because of the efforts of the politicians and these should be consulted when naming of key positions.
Also in the news regarding the education sector are the changes needed for there to be a merge between the Ministry of Superior Education and the Ministry of Education. Years back higher education (universities) were separated from pre-school, elementary and secondary level education that remained with the Ministry of Education. Now, the Abinader administration wants to unify these two ministries into a single education entity.
The question is who will be the minister, Franklin García Fermín of the Ministry of Superior Education or Angel Hernandez of the Ministry of Education. García Fermín has spoken up against the merge. He says this will be a setback for the Dominican education system.
Angel Hernandez had served as advisor to the President since the start of Abinader’s first term in August 2020. Two years later, he was promoted to Minister of Education. His predecessor, Roberto Furcal was a leading PRM activist and high-ranking member of the Dominican Association of Public School Professors (ADP). Furcal was removed following two years of denounced corruption and inefficiencies in his performance as Minister of Education.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
El Dia
18 December 2024