Education Minister Inaugurates New

Education Minister Inaugurates New Dominican Institute for Research and Evaluation of Quality Education
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  12/4/2011

Education Minister, Josefina Pimentel, recently presided over an inauguration event of the Dominican Institute for Research and Evaluation of Quality Education (IDEICE in Spanish), an entity that functions under the Ministry of Education.

Speaking at the activity, Minister Pimentel said that today IDEICE signifies a high point in a process of maturity and collective construction which is of great value.

The organization´s webpage was also introduced at the event: www.ideice.gob.do  Information, funds management, budgets and everything related to the Law of Transparency can be found on this webpage.

Speaking at the activity, Minister Pimentel said that today IDEICE signifies a high point in a process of maturity and collective construction which is of great value.

“I believe this is the way to build bigger things. Being part of utopias, of dreams that are realized, things that people have willed with the hope of commitment and to which they give of their talent, their time, their effort in dreaming of an idea until it becomes a real project,” said Ms. Pimentel.

She said the Second IDEICE 2011 Congress scheduled for next week, will place the organization in a privileged position from the point of view of its academic credibility and the organization’s role, which includes formulating and overseeing policies for research on quality education. It also develops guidelines that can later help formuate policies that promote the continued improvement of the national education system.

Director of IDEICE, Doctor Julio Leonardo Valeirón, said that the new place is a dream not only from the point of view of coordination, research and evaluation but also for the people who work there who have demonstrated that they are committed to education.

With respect to the Second IDEICE 2011 Congress, he said it has already exceeded expectations “now that we have 50 researchers registered and more than 20 who are going to be presented in a poster format because we don´t have enough space for everyone.”

The new IDEICE locale, on César Nicolás Penson Avenue, #30, has various areas which include offices for administration, technology, communication, documentation, information and a conference room, among others.

The introduction of the IDEICE portal was done by Eric Morel, an engineer, and the new locale was blessed by the Reverend Gregorio Santana.

Those attending the activity included Deputy Education Ministers of Technical Services and Teaching, Minerva Vincent and Giselle Feliz, respectively; Víctor Sánchez,  Deputy Minister in charge of Planning; Jacqueline Malagón, advisor and Director of Community Participation, Rosa Mena.

Also present were Ana Dolores Guzmán Co-Director of the Salomé Ureña Teaching Training Institute (ISFODOSU in Spanish), and Co-Director Carmen Sánchez, who is in charge of Early and Basic Education at ISFODOSU; Fernando Orgando, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Aida Consuelo Hernández, Director General of EDUCA.

The Reverend Gregorio Santana, as he blesses IDEICE’s new locale. He is accompanied by, on his left, Doctor Julio Valeirón, Education Minister, Josefina Pimentel and Minerva Vincent, Deputy Minister of Technical Services and Teaching.  On the Reverend’s right, Ana Dolores Guzmán de Camacho, Director of ISFODOSU; Aida Consuelo Hernández, of the EDUCA Foundation and Esperanza Ayala, Director of Middle School Education.