The Dominican Public Teachers Association (ADP) has vehemently protested the government’s recent proposition to merge the Ministry of Education (MINERD) with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCYT), labeling it a direct attack on the 4% of the national budget allocated to education.
Eduardo Hidalgo, president of the ADP, asserted that the merger is nothing more than a ploy to divert funds away from the public education budget. “The merger of MINERD and MESCYT is a blatant assault on the 4% education fund, which will further aggravate the severe crisis facing Dominican education,” Hidalgo stated. He argued that the government’s inability to effectively address the specific needs of the education sector has led to this ill-advised decision.
Hidalgo emphasized that the government has failed to provide any concrete evidence or studies to support the claim that merging the two ministries would improve the quality or efficiency of the education system. He questioned the lack of transparency and the absence of any comprehensive analysis to justify such a significant change.
“The government has not been able to demonstrate to the public that the justifications they have presented for proposing such a merger are based on any evidence, educational research, or feasibility analysis contextualized to the Dominican reality and the nature of both institutions,” Hidalgo added.
The ADP president further argued that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that merging the ministries would enhance learning outcomes or better align curricula with the demands of the labor market. He expressed concern that the government’s decision is driven by political motives rather than educational considerations.
“Neither the Ministry of Public Administration nor the Presidency has shown the country how the unification of MESCYT and MINERD would optimize resources and efficiency in education spending,” Hidalgo noted.
The teachers’ union has called on the government to reconsider its decision and prioritize the needs of Dominican students by investing in quality education and providing adequate resources.
On the other hand, the Dominican Association of Universities (Adou) stated it will be participating in the talks to advance the merge. The president of Adou, Wady Ramírez, said the universities are willing to contribute to draft the new structure to guarantee efficiencies in operations and better quality of education, as reported in Listin Diario.
Read more:
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
DR1 News
La Semanal
18 September 2024