Abinader’s speech on education must be contrasted with the reality of schools, says Corriente Magisterial

Santo Domingo.– Professor Menegildo De La Rosa, president of the Juan Pablo Duarte Teaching Current and secretary of Communications and Public Relations of the Dominican Association of Teachers (ADP), reacted to President Luis Abinader’s accountability speech on the progress of the Dominican education system, pointing out that it is necessary to rigorously analyze the figures and contrast them with the reality experienced by school communities. De La Rosa affirmed that, while it is positive that the president places education as a strategic axis of national development, it cannot be overlooked that last year the country witnessed a strong social struggle due to the lack of school places.

“Everyone remembers the complaints from parents who couldn’t find enrollment for their children. That situation showed that coverage is still not complete and that the system faces structural limitations,” he said.

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The teacher leader explained that part of the growth that the Government presents in secondary education responds to the natural transition of students who passed from sixth, seventh and eighth grade of primary school to the secondary level.

“They are the same students who were in elementary school and have now moved on to secondary school. That doesn’t necessarily mean a real expansion in terms of new places or a substantive expansion of the system,” the analysis should focus on the effective creation of new educational spaces and not solely on the administrative reorganization of enrollment,” he stated.

The president of the Juan Pablo Duarte Teaching Current emphasized that the main concern of the teaching profession continues to be the lack of infrastructure.

“The struggle that exists in many provinces and municipalities is for classrooms, for schools, for decent conditions. The problem is not just statistical, it is structural”, he indicated.

He reiterated that, although the official discourse highlights inaugurations and advances, in numerous communities overcrowded centers and limitations persist that affect the quality of the educational process. Regarding the presidential announcement to promote new educational legislation, De La Rosa warned that it is a new term to refer to the MINERD-MESCYT merger project, which, in the opinion of the teachers’ leader, should be withdrawn from the national congress, due to the widespread rejection it has generated in the educational community and many sectors of Dominican society.

Finally, the Secretary of Communications and Public Relations of the ADP reiterated that the teaching profession is willing to participate in a serious process of national consultation on education, but insisted that the transformations must start from a realistic diagnosis realist.

“Education cannot be just a discursive axis. It must be reflected in effective investment in infrastructure, respect for the teaching career, and policies built with participation. Only then can the school truly become the center of national development,” concluded De La Rosa.