NewsWhore
03-26-2012, 06:00 PM
The Fernandez administration made available just 1.82% of GDP for education in 2011, in violation of the Education Law 66-97 that stipulates a minimum of 4% of GDP, writes Juan Bolivar Diaz in Hoy. Diaz writes that despite the transfer of funds allocated to education to other sectors being banned in the 2010 Constitution, the Fernandez administration did so in 2011. The Constitution establishes in Art. 63, Art 10 that: "State investment in education, science and technology shall be sustained and expanded with increased levels of macroeconomic performance in the country. The law shall set the minimum amounts and percentages applicable to such investment. Under no circumstances shall the state divert funds allocated to finance the development of these areas to other projects."
Nevertheless, reports are that the government only disbursed 85.2% of the budget allocated to the Ministry of Education. Of RD$45.8 billion assigned, the government failed to disburse RD$6.78 billion.
Minister of Education Josefina Pimentel recently admitted that the cuts affected programs carried out by ministry specialists.
Diaz says that in addition to violating Law 66-97 and the 2010 Constitution, it also violated Law 236-11 that in September 2011 increased the Ministry of Education's budget to RD$4.3 billion, failing to meet a commitment that it had reached for more money for education.
He mentions that while attending the Ibero-American Summit in Argentina in December 2010, President Leonel Fernandez had pledged that the Dominican Republic government would make available 5.5% of GDP for education in 2011.
www.hoy.com.do/opiniones/2012/3/24/420319/Otra-burla-a-la-voluntad-popular (http://www.hoy.com.do/opiniones/2012/3/24/420319/Otra-burla-a-la-voluntad-popular)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)
Nevertheless, reports are that the government only disbursed 85.2% of the budget allocated to the Ministry of Education. Of RD$45.8 billion assigned, the government failed to disburse RD$6.78 billion.
Minister of Education Josefina Pimentel recently admitted that the cuts affected programs carried out by ministry specialists.
Diaz says that in addition to violating Law 66-97 and the 2010 Constitution, it also violated Law 236-11 that in September 2011 increased the Ministry of Education's budget to RD$4.3 billion, failing to meet a commitment that it had reached for more money for education.
He mentions that while attending the Ibero-American Summit in Argentina in December 2010, President Leonel Fernandez had pledged that the Dominican Republic government would make available 5.5% of GDP for education in 2011.
www.hoy.com.do/opiniones/2012/3/24/420319/Otra-burla-a-la-voluntad-popular (http://www.hoy.com.do/opiniones/2012/3/24/420319/Otra-burla-a-la-voluntad-popular)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#8)