Call for dialogue and prudence to address conflict in education

Santo Domingo.- Feliciano Lacen, the president of the Dominican Council of Evangelical Unity (Codue), has issued a plea for dialogue and prudence to both the Dominican Association of Teachers (ADP) and the Ministry of Education (Minerd) amidst their conflict over unresolved agreements and demands.

Lacen stressed the importance of fostering understanding between the two institutions, particularly considering the potential disruption to the academic calendar, which could adversely affect students. He emphasized that reaching consensus through dialogue is essential to address the demands effectively.

Last Tuesday, the teachers’ union called for a 20% salary increase for both active and retired teachers, a commitment made in July 2023 that has yet to be fulfilled. Alongside the salary hike, teachers are advocating for an evaluation of teaching performance, enhancements to the quality of school breakfast and lunch programs, and rejection of a proposed 4% reduction.

Furthermore, they are demanding expanded school coverage to accommodate the rising demand for teachers in public schools due to population growth, as well as improvements in payments to pensioners and retirees, among other requests.