Dominican teachers union issues ultimatum for education reform

Santo Domingo.- The President of the Association of Teachers (ADP) and PLD deputy, Eduardo Hidalgo, issued a stern warning this Tuesday, emphasizing that if government authorities fail to meet the demands within a week, the union will escalate its actions in the pursuit of better education.

Hidalgo refrained from specifying the nature of these escalated actions in his press release following today’s demonstration, focusing instead on the ultimatum presented to authorities. “Commencing from this demonstration, we grant authorities a one-week window to approve the Departmental Order for the implementation of Performance Evaluation, ensuring the established scale of incentives remains unaltered,” stated Hidalgo during a rally held in front of the Ministry of Education, attended by thousands of teachers nationwide.

“Additionally, we expect authorities to reach consensus within the same timeframe regarding the promised salary increase of 20% for teachers, as agreed upon on June 30, 2021, and reaffirmed in our quality education pact in July 2023,” he added.

Heightened Actions on the Horizon Hidalgo stressed that failure to meet these deadlines would necessitate the Dominican Association of Teachers to intensify its efforts in securing adherence to the education agreement.

“Should these terms remain unmet, effective next week, we will be compelled to heighten our efforts to uphold the standards outlined in the Better Education agreement,” affirmed Hidalgo.

Despite being the cornerstone of education and dedicating themselves tirelessly to shaping future generations, Hidalgo lamented the treatment received from the current Ministry of Education administration, citing defamation, arbitrariness, repression, and breach of agreements as recurring issues.

Furthermore, he criticized the Ministry’s failure to address the prolonged presence of teaching staff in the Eligible Bank and the absence of a Substitute Teachers Bank, leading to unjust practices such as forcing teachers to cover substitute costs while on medical or work leave.