NewsWhore
02-28-2011, 03:20 PM
President Leonel Fernandez dedicated an extensive part of his 51-page 27 February speech to justifying his government's education policies and maintained that what was most important was quality, not quantity. Recently, there has been a major campaign for more state funding for education based on the country's very poor scores in international rankings, including the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report.
The General Education Law, signed into law by President Leonel Fernandez in 1997 at the start of his first term establishes that the government needs to allocate 16% of its budget or 4% of GDP to education. A grassroots coalition group has spearheaded the movement that challenges the government's priorities with tax resources and called for a reorientation, giving education true priority. President Fernandez is in his third term in government and cannot show an improvement in educational rankings for the country, despite his rhetoric over the years.
In his 27 of February speech, President Fernandez again stated that education was a priority for his government, while justifying the spending that fails to comply with the 4% law. "Let me make the point that since our first government, 1996-2000, this has always had a priority in our national development agenda," he stated.
He mentioned several areas where his government has been innovative in support of the sector. Among these, the distribution of millions of free textbooks, the expansion of the school library program, and equipping science labs at middle school levels. He said that hundreds of new schools have been built. Other government-sponsored initiatives include the "Student Merit Award" that takes place at the Presidential Palace.
He listed other achievements by his government as follows: Teachers' wages were increased, incentive programs and training programs. Prestigious international organizations like Columbia University in NY Teachers' College and the University Harvard Education School have worked with public school teachers to help them develop new modern teaching skills.
The DR was one of the first countries in Latin America to install computer labs and technology sections in most public schools.
The First Lady's Office has overseen the building of 70 technology community centers nationwide, which have been commended by the United Nations International Telecommunications Organization. This is in addition to a large number of information technology training centers that have been set up nationwide by the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel).
There are programs to help thousands of teachers to purchase computers. More than 20,000 scholarships have been awarded in the country and abroad, which is "a true revolution, without precedent, in the Dominican Republic."
"What other government, in any period has contributed in a more effective way to modernize and expand the state university UASD than the present government?" he asked. He mentioned major improvements and new facilities at the Santo Domingo campuses and branches in Bonao, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Nagua, Higuey, San Juan de la Maguana, Barahona and Valverde. He highlighted the construction of a specialized cancer center at the UASD.
"We do this because we believe in Dominican youth, in their aspirations to get ahead, in their thirst for knowledge and because we are convinced that only through professional training we will be able to ensure our people's future," stated the President.
He also mentioned that his government had held a major forum to prepare the 10 Year Education Plan, the basis for the educational system for 2008-2018.
He addressed demands for the government to invest more in education. "While in principle we would all be in agreement in this proposal, I myself, before this same Assembly, have expressed the need for a gradual and systematic increase for the national educational system. Notwithstanding, while I consider that investment in education is necessary and important, it is not sufficient to guarantee quality, which is the central objective of all modern educational systems in the 21st Century," he stated.
He compared the DR to France, which spends 6.8% of its GDP on education, but according to the Jacques Attali Commission report results are not what had been expected and 41% of all students drop out of school, among other indicators. He makes the point that the Attali Commission observes that the European countries that lead in education are not the ones that spend the most. He said the same could be said for the UK, US, Brazil and Mexico. "Due to the results, UK is below the poor countries, with lower levels of education than Estonia, Poland and Slovenia in the areas of reading, mathematics and sciences.
Karl Weber, in his book Waiting for Superman, says that schools in the US need a change. The President quoted: "For more than half a century the schools in the US need reform. We have responded with a fourfold increase per student, but in such a way this has not translated into better performance. It is evident that injecting money in the present system will not obtain significant improvements."
"Mexico spends enormous amounts of money that are not improving quality and levels of knowledge of the students. The quantitative goals have been more important than the qualitative and the educational sector has been politicized and bureaucratized with less care for the aspects of quality in education, added Fernandez, based on comments by professor Culebro Martinez.
"It is not about spending more, but spending better. That is what countries like Japan and Germany, where smaller amounts of money are spent by their governments achieve higher levels of academic performance," he said.
He commented that the argument is that Law 66-97 defines the scope of the investment in education. But he disputes this law, arguing that the government investment in education has increased considerably. He said in 2004 the budget for education was RD$11.7 billion. For 2011, the budget is RD$55.3 billion, a 500% increase. "This, sirs, had never occurred in the history of the Dominican Republic!"
He believes that the task is to improve quality of education. "We are aware there will not be national development if we do not train our human capital."
He stressed the need to improve conditions for teachers, and strengthen training programs, and provide students with the skills for the competitive 21st century.
"We need to continue expanding and modernizing our schools, adding modern technology. We need to promote integral, scientific and humanistic values, based on the most effective international teaching trends," he said. "But this needs to be carried out in the framework of a rational plan, that is coherent and inclusive, in the medium and long term, not in an abrupt way. This should come about as a result of a pact with several sectors."
He committed to promoting the application of the Ten Year Education Plan (2008-2018) "so that above all we take on the responsibility of making schools a space for knowledge, science, culture, values and social transformation."
www.presidencia.gob.do/app/article.aspx?id=13437 (http://www.presidencia.gob.do/app/article.aspx?id=13437)
http://educaciondigna.com/
http://centrojuanmontalvo.org.do/spip/spip.php?rubrique100
www.barahonero.com/2010/07/acusan-melanio-paredes-de-malversacion.html (http://www.barahonero.com/2010/07/acusan-melanio-paredes-de-malversacion.html)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)
The General Education Law, signed into law by President Leonel Fernandez in 1997 at the start of his first term establishes that the government needs to allocate 16% of its budget or 4% of GDP to education. A grassroots coalition group has spearheaded the movement that challenges the government's priorities with tax resources and called for a reorientation, giving education true priority. President Fernandez is in his third term in government and cannot show an improvement in educational rankings for the country, despite his rhetoric over the years.
In his 27 of February speech, President Fernandez again stated that education was a priority for his government, while justifying the spending that fails to comply with the 4% law. "Let me make the point that since our first government, 1996-2000, this has always had a priority in our national development agenda," he stated.
He mentioned several areas where his government has been innovative in support of the sector. Among these, the distribution of millions of free textbooks, the expansion of the school library program, and equipping science labs at middle school levels. He said that hundreds of new schools have been built. Other government-sponsored initiatives include the "Student Merit Award" that takes place at the Presidential Palace.
He listed other achievements by his government as follows: Teachers' wages were increased, incentive programs and training programs. Prestigious international organizations like Columbia University in NY Teachers' College and the University Harvard Education School have worked with public school teachers to help them develop new modern teaching skills.
The DR was one of the first countries in Latin America to install computer labs and technology sections in most public schools.
The First Lady's Office has overseen the building of 70 technology community centers nationwide, which have been commended by the United Nations International Telecommunications Organization. This is in addition to a large number of information technology training centers that have been set up nationwide by the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel).
There are programs to help thousands of teachers to purchase computers. More than 20,000 scholarships have been awarded in the country and abroad, which is "a true revolution, without precedent, in the Dominican Republic."
"What other government, in any period has contributed in a more effective way to modernize and expand the state university UASD than the present government?" he asked. He mentioned major improvements and new facilities at the Santo Domingo campuses and branches in Bonao, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Nagua, Higuey, San Juan de la Maguana, Barahona and Valverde. He highlighted the construction of a specialized cancer center at the UASD.
"We do this because we believe in Dominican youth, in their aspirations to get ahead, in their thirst for knowledge and because we are convinced that only through professional training we will be able to ensure our people's future," stated the President.
He also mentioned that his government had held a major forum to prepare the 10 Year Education Plan, the basis for the educational system for 2008-2018.
He addressed demands for the government to invest more in education. "While in principle we would all be in agreement in this proposal, I myself, before this same Assembly, have expressed the need for a gradual and systematic increase for the national educational system. Notwithstanding, while I consider that investment in education is necessary and important, it is not sufficient to guarantee quality, which is the central objective of all modern educational systems in the 21st Century," he stated.
He compared the DR to France, which spends 6.8% of its GDP on education, but according to the Jacques Attali Commission report results are not what had been expected and 41% of all students drop out of school, among other indicators. He makes the point that the Attali Commission observes that the European countries that lead in education are not the ones that spend the most. He said the same could be said for the UK, US, Brazil and Mexico. "Due to the results, UK is below the poor countries, with lower levels of education than Estonia, Poland and Slovenia in the areas of reading, mathematics and sciences.
Karl Weber, in his book Waiting for Superman, says that schools in the US need a change. The President quoted: "For more than half a century the schools in the US need reform. We have responded with a fourfold increase per student, but in such a way this has not translated into better performance. It is evident that injecting money in the present system will not obtain significant improvements."
"Mexico spends enormous amounts of money that are not improving quality and levels of knowledge of the students. The quantitative goals have been more important than the qualitative and the educational sector has been politicized and bureaucratized with less care for the aspects of quality in education, added Fernandez, based on comments by professor Culebro Martinez.
"It is not about spending more, but spending better. That is what countries like Japan and Germany, where smaller amounts of money are spent by their governments achieve higher levels of academic performance," he said.
He commented that the argument is that Law 66-97 defines the scope of the investment in education. But he disputes this law, arguing that the government investment in education has increased considerably. He said in 2004 the budget for education was RD$11.7 billion. For 2011, the budget is RD$55.3 billion, a 500% increase. "This, sirs, had never occurred in the history of the Dominican Republic!"
He believes that the task is to improve quality of education. "We are aware there will not be national development if we do not train our human capital."
He stressed the need to improve conditions for teachers, and strengthen training programs, and provide students with the skills for the competitive 21st century.
"We need to continue expanding and modernizing our schools, adding modern technology. We need to promote integral, scientific and humanistic values, based on the most effective international teaching trends," he said. "But this needs to be carried out in the framework of a rational plan, that is coherent and inclusive, in the medium and long term, not in an abrupt way. This should come about as a result of a pact with several sectors."
He committed to promoting the application of the Ten Year Education Plan (2008-2018) "so that above all we take on the responsibility of making schools a space for knowledge, science, culture, values and social transformation."
www.presidencia.gob.do/app/article.aspx?id=13437 (http://www.presidencia.gob.do/app/article.aspx?id=13437)
http://educaciondigna.com/
http://centrojuanmontalvo.org.do/spip/spip.php?rubrique100
www.barahonero.com/2010/07/acusan-melanio-paredes-de-malversacion.html (http://www.barahonero.com/2010/07/acusan-melanio-paredes-de-malversacion.html)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#2)