NewsWhore
02-06-2012, 02:30 PM
Starting in early December, Dominican students begin to leave Gregorio Luperon High School in New York and some do not return until the end of January, as they leave to spend time with their families in the Dominican Republic.
Gregorio Luperon is a bilingual school that accepts recent immigrants from Latin America, most of whom are Dominican and it has made efforts to curb the practice. Teachers broach the issue with families during orientation by telling them that it is not acceptable for students to miss chunks of school, and then remind students in the weeks before winter break about the consequences of missing school.
It is suggested that the long vacations happen because young, working-class families try to squeeze the most out of a plane ticket by booking outside of peak travel days.
However, the students said that spending time with family was the primary purpose of his trip. "Everybody is there," stated one. "It's like home."
"Over there, it's better. It's more active, kids spend their time outside," said another. He added that the fresh food is another draw: "Over here the food is fake. Over there, I go with my grandpa to the farm and we get the beans and corn and then my grandma cooks it."
The boys also explained that schools are different in the Dominican Republic. There, schools hold four-hour shifts in the morning, afternoon, and evening from which students can choose.
Shondel Nero, an associate professor at New York University who directs NYU's program in multilingual and multicultural studies, explained that in part because of "shift" schooling, missing school is generally not seen as a major problem in the Dominican Republic.
Religion also plays a role, said Nero, who facilitates a study abroad program in the Dominican Republic. Because most Dominicans are "staunch Catholics," they celebrate holidays well into the month of January, she said. After Christmas and New Years, there celebrate El Dia de los Reyes on 6 January and Our Lady of Altagracia Day on 21 January.
"Culturally speaking, family and faith are two of the most important things to Dominicans. Sometimes to the detriment of education," Nero wrote.
Vianca Caceras, a mother of three who works at Turissa Travel in Washington Heights, has pulled her two oldest children out of their Bronx elementary school in the past for a lengthy trip back home. Many of her family members n including her youngest child n live in the Dominican Republic, and she said that it was worth the money and time to travel home with her children.
"The children have 180 days in school, so five days with their family is not a big deal. The family makes sure that the child grows up healthy. It's important," Caceras said.
"It's difficult because two things are important," she added. "Seeing my other family and my country and making sure that my babies go to school."
http://gothamschools.org/2012/02/03/dominican-families-balance-schooling-with-extended-trips-home/ (http://http://gothamschools.org/2012/02/03/dominican-families-balance-schooling-with-extended-trips-home/)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)
Gregorio Luperon is a bilingual school that accepts recent immigrants from Latin America, most of whom are Dominican and it has made efforts to curb the practice. Teachers broach the issue with families during orientation by telling them that it is not acceptable for students to miss chunks of school, and then remind students in the weeks before winter break about the consequences of missing school.
It is suggested that the long vacations happen because young, working-class families try to squeeze the most out of a plane ticket by booking outside of peak travel days.
However, the students said that spending time with family was the primary purpose of his trip. "Everybody is there," stated one. "It's like home."
"Over there, it's better. It's more active, kids spend their time outside," said another. He added that the fresh food is another draw: "Over here the food is fake. Over there, I go with my grandpa to the farm and we get the beans and corn and then my grandma cooks it."
The boys also explained that schools are different in the Dominican Republic. There, schools hold four-hour shifts in the morning, afternoon, and evening from which students can choose.
Shondel Nero, an associate professor at New York University who directs NYU's program in multilingual and multicultural studies, explained that in part because of "shift" schooling, missing school is generally not seen as a major problem in the Dominican Republic.
Religion also plays a role, said Nero, who facilitates a study abroad program in the Dominican Republic. Because most Dominicans are "staunch Catholics," they celebrate holidays well into the month of January, she said. After Christmas and New Years, there celebrate El Dia de los Reyes on 6 January and Our Lady of Altagracia Day on 21 January.
"Culturally speaking, family and faith are two of the most important things to Dominicans. Sometimes to the detriment of education," Nero wrote.
Vianca Caceras, a mother of three who works at Turissa Travel in Washington Heights, has pulled her two oldest children out of their Bronx elementary school in the past for a lengthy trip back home. Many of her family members n including her youngest child n live in the Dominican Republic, and she said that it was worth the money and time to travel home with her children.
"The children have 180 days in school, so five days with their family is not a big deal. The family makes sure that the child grows up healthy. It's important," Caceras said.
"It's difficult because two things are important," she added. "Seeing my other family and my country and making sure that my babies go to school."
http://gothamschools.org/2012/02/03/dominican-families-balance-schooling-with-extended-trips-home/ (http://http://gothamschools.org/2012/02/03/dominican-families-balance-schooling-with-extended-trips-home/)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)