Education Minister Roberto Furcal says the government’s Plan A is digital learning. The government is set on providing public school teachers and students with devices for the online programs in time for the start of the school year. The Ministry is also building traditional television and radio distance learning programs, its Plan B for schools where digital learning programs cannot be put into place in time.
Education Minister Roberto Furcal says public school digital education programs will be divided into virtual classes of 30 minutes. The school day will last four hours. The official start of classes in the Dominican Republic has been postponed to 2 November for public schools as the new authorities ready the school year. 2.8 million students enrolled for the 2020-2021 school year. Private schools were cleared to start earlier, but all schools were told to keep to distance learning programs.
Furcal says that the online classes will complement content scheduled for radio and television. Just on Wednesday, 2 September 2020, Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel) director, Nelson Arroyo had commented on how poor connectivity is an obstacle to digital learning.
The Ministry of Education has announced a mega purchase of equipment with the United Nations Development Plan (UNDP) assistance to ensure transparency. The government expects to spend RD$30 billion. The education authorities are aware they are buying at a time when demand is at an all-time high as more people now work and study at home. Furcal mentioned that no supplier has two million devices in its inventory. He said the UNDP is assisting the Ministry in tracking the supplies and making the purchase.
Furcal says that all students will receive printed booklets with the content on radio, television and the Internet. These will serve as the workbook for the course. He says the subjects will be simplified to concentrate on the most important skills that need to be developed in class.
Furcal explains that they are working with 12 television channels, including a new one for teachers. He said the Dominican Association of Radio Broadcasters (Adora) is also collaborating to reach the students.
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Listin Diario
Diario Libre
N Digital
DR1 News
3 September 2020