Dominican Republic can’t continue at ‘tail-end’ in Latin America’s education

Santo Domingo.- Education minister Carlos Amarante on Tuesdaysaid the country cannot continue as the tail end Latin America’s educationalachievements and the quality of teaching.

He said the start of the 2016-2017 school year on August22, which coincides with the initiation of president Danilo Medina’s secondterm in office, is an opportunity to look ahead to what Dominican Republic’s governmentwants to accomplish in education in the next four years.

He acknowledged the education system’s shortcomings,especially how to improve the teaching in reading and math in the early grades,which in his view is critical for the child’s future and what they can make oftheir adult life.

"We therefore want to strongly emphasize this, becausewe have to make the leap, we cannot continue at the tailing end in LatinAmerica and we are working, and it’s a goal in the last four years to moveforward in that direction," the official said.

He said the Government has been disbursing 4 percent of Gdpto education religiosity, and accomplished the signing of the Quality EducationPact in the Dominican Republic.

Interviewed on Color Visision Channel 9, Amarante addedthat among the education sector’s other accomplishments figure investment to improvethe wellbeing of teachers, construction of around 14,500 classrooms, theinclusion of 930,000 students into the Extended School Day and the school lunch.