I have about had it with Alejandrina German

[arturo]

DISCLAIMER/WARNING - This is a whiny post and it the views it expresses are my own and not necessarily those of DR1.

Just to qualify my annoyance with the Minister of Education, I fully understand she is an appointed official, a politician, and a long standing PLD functionary (aka "lambona"). She has to toe the party line and part of her responsibilities includes making public statements that higher ranking party officials, including the President, cannot politically afford to make - even if they are the party's and the government's position. All that aside, for the past four years she has taken demagogery to new levels that have left me utterly nauseated.

When Ellen Brineman criticized the state of Dominican education - including the shockingly small percentage of the country's economy that is devoted to educational development - in her final remarks as she left USAID, Alejandrina responded with criticism of the U.S. education system. This was classic "echarle la culpa a lo demas." To her credit, she made no attempt to defend the indefensible Dominican education system; but I think she let an excellent opportunity to remain silent go by. This week, she cited increasing numbers of Haitian students in Dominican schools as "proof" that Dominican antipathy toward Haitians is a myth. Alejandrina, as the King of Spain asked Hugo Chavez, "¿por que no te callas?"

[A.Hidalgo]

She is a typical Dominican politico....lots of talk and no substance.....many of us do know where the money for education has gone. Its so sad, as education is a basic foundation for real progress.

Originally Posted by PICHARDO

[NALs]

So the following has no meaning what-so-ever?

Year: Budget of education dept (Secretaria de Educación)

In red: under PRD rule
In blue: under PLD rule
In black and bold: projected for next year

2002: RD$ 10.8b
2003: RD$ 11b
2004: RD$ 12.8b
2005: RD$ 17b
2006: RD$ 20b
2007: RD$ 25b
2008: RD$ 32b

A 250% increase in funding towards public education has occurred since 2004 to the 2008 education budget, the first significant increase in education budget given that under the entire PRD rule time period education funding remained frozen, and yet, that's all talk with no substance?

Sources:

Secretaría de Educación pedirá presupuesto de RD$32 mil MM

Síntesis de la Estadísticas e Indicadores 2005-2006

-NALs

[A.Hidalgo]

Hey NALs were you on R&R...I missed you except your long posts.Lol

Now to the issue on hand. Those figures you quoted above are meaningless unless they are put in context.

As I'm sure you know that Ley #66-97 or Ley Organica de la Educacion de la Republica Dominicana states that a minimum of 4% of GDP is to be spent on education. The Dominican government is spending less than half of that. According to UNESCO's latest figures its 1.1%.

The way I see it the new subway system is a good thing, but not to the detriment of the education of future generations.

http://www.unesco.cl/medios/bibliote...lac_ingles.pdf
(statistic page 231)

Ley de Educación: Títulos X y XI

[NALs]

Originally Posted by A.Hidalgo

Hey NALs were you on R&R...I missed you except your long posts.Lol

Now to the issue on hand. Those figures you quoted above are meaningless unless they are put in context.

As I'm sure you know that Ley #66-97 or Ley Organica de la Educacion de la Republica Dominicana states that a minimum of 4% of GDP is to be spent on education. The Dominican government is spending less than half of that. According to UNESCO's latest figures its 1.1%.

The way I see it the new subway system is a good thing, but not to the detriment of the education of future generations.

http://www.unesco.cl/medios/bibliote...lac_ingles.pdf
(statistic page 231)

Ley de Educación: Títulos X y XI

Nothing happens over night.

In 2002, the figure barely was 1% of GDP and the RD$32b for 2008 would put it at 2.5% of GDP. If the funding for education continues to increase in the next four years as it has in the last four, the DR will be funding much more than 4% of GDP on education by 2012 when the next elections are due.

Considering that from 2000 to 2004, the percentage of GDP devoted to education fell (mostly because funding was increased in extremely tiny amounts relative to the economy as a whole), the growth seen in the past four years are promising.

They are not promising on a short term basis, and that is the logic behind all the criticisms; but they are promising on a long term basis as long that funding continues to increase year after year as it has in the past four years.

Education funding increased substantially during the 1996-2000 PLD administration, it again has increased substantially during the 2004-2008 PLD administration and if the PLD wins in May, judging by its track record, it will continue to increase substantially between 2008-2012 time period.

It looks promising.

-NALs

[A.Hidalgo]

Originally Posted by NALs

Nothing happens over night.

The law was passed in Leonel's first administration which was in 1997. You are right about the above quote, but for some reason its much more pronounced in the Dominican Republic.

[A.Hidalgo]

Btw NALs why didn't you show the PLD figures of the first Leonel administration, 1996-2000.

[NALs]

Originally Posted by A.Hidalgo

Btw NALs why didn't you show the PLD figures of the first Leonel administration, 1996-2000.

Presupuesto y Ejecución de la SEE (1995-2004)

-NALs

[Chip]

Hey, what about where the rubber meets the road? The end result is the public education here stinks. Somebody should have asked the numnut education director, upon mentioning the US system, how well the average Domincan student would do with his peer in the States...can you say: well...I....but...stutter.....

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?

[A.Hidalgo]

Originally Posted by NALs

Presupuesto y Ejecución de la SEE (1995-2004)

-NALs

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"