I have about had it with Alejandrina German

[NALs]

Originally Posted by A.Hidalgo

Just as I thought, from 1997 on when the law went into effect, 10 years ago, the PLD and the PRD administrations have never achieved the 4% of GDP to be spent on Education. I believe that going forward even that 4% is an inadequate figure to be able to ever achieve any real change in the educational system.

As for the PLD with Leonel as President they have held power from 1996-2000 and then again 2004-2008 and no 4%, but then again its not the first time a Dominican administration ignores its own laws.

NALs you are a genius for saying "nothing happens over night"

And you are a genius in ignoring the fact that these are long term goals. Had the PRD not won the 2000 elections, the country would had been different today in many aspects, including the share of GDP invested on education.

Now its going to over 2% of GDP, a percentage that has not been seen since the 1970s as far as education spending is concerned. The goal is 4% and the investment on education has been nearing such percentage in the past 4 years. Another 4 years and it will most likely reach it, unless, of course, another party takes over and they completely disregard and undo whatever the PLD did before as did Hipolito.

-NALs

[A.Hidalgo]

Originally Posted by NALs

And you are a genius in ignoring the fact that these are long term goals.

Long term?.....well 2 years is not long term. You are the one ignoring the facts by making up this long term nonsense.

Art. 197.- El gasto público anual en educación debe alcanzar en un período de dos años, a partir de la promulgación de esta ley, un mínimo de un dieciséis por ciento (16%), del gasto público total o un cuatro por ciento (4%) del producto bruto interno (PBI)

Basically the above quote states that in a period of two years public expenses for education should reach a minimum of 4% of GDP.

Another 4 years and it will most likely reach it, unless, of course, another party takes over and they completely disregard and undo whatever the PLD did before as did Hipolito.

No need for another party to disregard and undo anything, the PLD has been doing it since 2004 and will do the same in 2008.

Ley de Educación: Títulos X y XI

[Texas Bill]

Nals;

Accordingto you, "Nothing happens 'overnight'"!
Are ayou "Overnight's" aperiod of 100 years???
It has taken this country over 500 years to reach the level of "education" it enjoys today. What will the NEXY 500 years bring unless those that hold the "Purse" rip out the strings that holdit closed andstart puuring money into th "education" system?
The DR has a very long way to go even to reach the point in education that Europe and the US have held for the past 100 yeaars.
By what stretch of the imagination (reaad that as pulling your heaad out of your collective A$$E$" and start recognizint that education is the keystone of Democracy and progress, both economically, socially and politically.
Get your head out of the sand and look around at the rest of the world, then look at the place the DR hold in theworld of Education. You might really be amazed at what you find when you do the comparisons.

Texas Bill

[Lambada]

I see Nuria got the last laugh on the Education Minister. From todays DR1 News


Nuria explains
Investigative journalist Nuria Piera is explaining why she hasn't purchased a lavish summer home located in the hills of Jarabacoa from Education Minister Alejandrina German. After releasing the story of the vacation home that contrasted with the poor conditions at the public school in the same community, German said she would sell the home to Piera. Piera says the purchase didn't take place, not because of a lack of money, but because the land the house is built on is the subject of litigation. Piera said that herplan for the home was to either build a children's home or to give it away, but that she decided not to buy it on advice from friends.

Emboldening mine. Nice one Nuria!

[qgrande]

Originally Posted by Chip

Also, you guys realize that the Domincan politicians don't want an educated constituency. Why would they want to have the people actually tell when they are talking that they are full of schit?

This is a bold statement and an interesting point.
Of course there are plenty of historical examples of dictators and pseudo-dictators actively keeping their populations uneducated, to avoid too much criticism. I think the Duvaliers and even Aristide are said to have followed this policy. And in the Dominican context, an uneducated uncritical population is of course a necessary element in a system of caciquismo.

But what about today's Dominican political elite? Do they actively and consciously underfund education and keep the Dominican population uneducated to maintain the political status quo? Or are they perhaps mildly yet genuinly interested in improving education, but end up being even more interested in filling their own pockets and spending money on projects that build short-term loyalty?

[catcherintherye]

qgrande asks a very good question. To find the answer one must ask another basic question, Cui bono? Who benefits from an uneducated populous? Perhaps not all within the Political leadership of both major parties, but perhaps a large enough number to keep the process slowed to a crawl. One thing is certain, the longer the people of the DR are kept to a very basic education the political leaders with have an almost exclusive lock on the benefits of "leadership."

[bob saunders]

Originally Posted by qgrande

But what about today's Dominican political elite? Do they actively and consciously underfund education and keep the Dominican population uneducated to maintain the political status quo? Or are they perhaps mildly yet genuinly interested in improving education, but end up being even more interested in filling their own pockets and spending money on projects that build short-term loyalty?

I think the last sentence of catcherintherye's post is more accurate in regards to the DR's commitment to education. Both Leonel and Alejandrina were professors at UASD and Alejandrina was one of my wife's teachers. Yris was expecting better from both of them and has had several communications with them in regards to education. For all you that think there has been no progress you are wrong. There has been some, definitely not enough, but for example: Every school in the DR, public or private is suppose to have a vision and mission statement and a yearly project or goal for improving some aspect of education. Yris has done this unofficially for the past 15 years, Last year and this year are the first years that her school has been inspected by the ministry, with clear guidelines on what she has to have at the school, teacher's qualifications....etc. This year is also the first year that the mission statement, vision...etc had to be presented the the ministry. To me this is a good sign that the government is taking an active role to improve quality of education. One of the big problems as I see it with education in the DR is the strength of the teachers association. Many, perhaps even most people that become teachers in the DR do it because once in the public school system it is a job for life, with guaranteed pension...etc. I also see a lack of planning in the building of schools- most schools were not build for expansion...i.e no ability to put a second floor on them. With the huge population growth the governments past and present have not planned for the future. Where there is hope there is life.

[A.Hidalgo]

I'm assuming Yris is your wife who is a teacher?

[bob saunders]

Originally Posted by A.Hidalgo

I'm assuming Yris is your wife who is a teacher?

Yes, she owns a small private school in Jarabacoa.

[A.Hidalgo]

The fact that she manages a private school explains why its better than the public ones. The public schools are the ones suffering from low funding.