As students languish, Dominican Education chief laughs off RD$18.0M mock-up

Santo Domingo.- While students at the SanFrancisco de Macorís Polytechnic (northeast) endure classes under three mangotrees, awaiting the school’s inaugural, Education minister Carlos Amarante laughedoff criticism against the RD$18.0 million spent to build a mock-up of theMinistry at the Santo Domingo Book Fair.

He said the replica represents Education and nextyear’s mock-up will be that of a full- day schools now being implemented acrossthe country.

"I believe the cost is justified and nextyear we’ll build another replica, not of the Ministry, because that’s what somepeople didn’t like, let’s replicate a full-day school," the official said atthe Fair prior to belching out a laugh.

Quoted by local media on Monday, Amarante said themillions spent on the structure sought to encompass “everything relating to theeducational revolution motored by president Danilo Medina.”