Panel calls for educational funding

[NewsWhore]

The vice-president of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham), William Malamud, has warned that the results of the World Bank's Index of Competitiveness concerning education in the Dominican Republic "constitute a recipe for economic, moral and social disaster." During a panel discussion on Commercial Exchange between the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the United States, held yesterday, it was decided that, "the private sector has to become more involved in education and should demand state investment in the necessary human resources to improve human capital in the country." The panel was organized by the economic section of Hoy newspaper and featured, besides Malamud, John Murphy, the vice-president for International Affairs for the US Chamber of Commerce and Armando del Valle Munoz, the director of the Puerto Rico Commercial Office in the Dominican Republic. Malamud reported that the Dominican Republic is listed is 129th place out of 131 countries in primary education rankings; 127th place in quality of Mathematics and Science, and 127th overall with regard to general education. This is what Malamud called a "recipe for disaster." The Amcham executive called education the "only renewable resource that the country possesses." Minister of Industry and Commerce Melanio Paredes told the panel that these negative indicators are being improved and the country is taking steps in the right direction, but admitted that "the results will not be seen in the immediate future."
The Hoy newspaper panel also focused on the negative effects of corruption on the Dominican Republic. Corruption was singled out as affecting competitiveness and one of the main obstacles to development.

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