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NewsWhore
10-01-2012, 03:00 PM
If President Danilo Medina fulfills his promise to assign 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to Education, about 35% of these resources will be spent on infrastructure and equipment for schools. At least RD$31 billion will be spent on new school construction, repairs and expansion of existing schools, according to the Minister of Education, Josefina Pimentel. The ministry gave the final details on their budgetary assignments for next year. Between 5% and 6% of the budget will go towards the Food Program, according to the Minister.

"There are also some important lines of work for decentralizing: the transfer of resources to the regional education boards, so that they can work towards minor remodeling of schools and the preparation of the schools' institutional and pedagogical needs," she stated. Other aspects that will be covered by the budget items, although she did not mention amounts, are related to the acquisition of schoolbooks, literacy programs and daycare programs.

Minister of Education Pimentel, said on the TV show Dialogo Libre, that one of the biggest problem in Dominican education is that there is an acute scarcity of science and mathematics professors. She said in the short term the government would be asking engineering and medicine professionals to fill in the void while teachers are trained in these areas.

Pimentel also explained that Dominican public school students score low on scholastic tests because many are products of schools where three shifts of students share the same classrooms, with morning, afternoon and evening shifts. This means professors only have time to superficially cover the necessary content, she explained. The Ministry has been able to offer extended eight hour schooling in 97 public schools, and she says the effects on the students is apparent. Another 100 public schools could be incorporated to the 8-hour program next school year.

http://www.diariolibre.com/dleducacion/2012/10/01/i353957_educacion-esta-quedando-sin-profesores-para-ensenar-ciencias.html

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