Technical school opens in Elias Piña

Technical school opens in Elias Piña
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1/24/2012

On January 24, President LeonelFernández and Lic.Josefina Pimentel, Minister of Education,opened the LiceoTécnicoSagradoCorazón de Jesús Fe y Alegría, a technical high school,located in Comendador, in the Elías Piña province, which was built with an investment of seventy seven million one hundred twenty two thousand seven hundred and one pesos (RD$77,122,701), to serve a population of 630 students.

The project includes the renovation of the former home of dictator Rafael Trujillo Molina, which will housethe computer and science labs; the administrative sectionthat will control the teaching staff, personnel and resources; the staff lounge, the library, toilets and a fully equipped kitchen.

The polytechnic schoolhas nine classrooms, a multipurpose room with capacity for 200 people, workshops for the production of fruits, vegetables and dairy products;agricultural mechanics and auto mechanics. It also has a sports court and bleachers for attendees toa diversity of athletic meets.

It also has a parking area made of concrete, an area with a flagpole and a commemorative plaque for students, faculty and staff to pay tribute to patriotic values, ??and an exterior landscaping for beautification purposes.

The project includes the renovation of the former home of dictator Rafael Trujillo Molina, which will housethe computer and science labs; the administrative sectionthat will control the teaching staff, personnel and resources; the staff lounge, the library, toilets and a fully equipped kitchen.

The project, built with funds from MINERD (Ministry of Education), was equipped with a drinking water supply system, made of a water cistern and a filtering well, and a perimeter fence made of cinder blocks to ensure the safety of the students, faculty and staff.

During the ceremony, the President also symbolically opened a library, the renovated buildings housing the Provincial Government and the ComendadorNational Police,and the road linking that municipality with Las Lagunas.

In her key note speech during the opening ceremony, the Minister of Education reported that the16-classroom and two kindergartens Juan Pablo Duarte elementary school is currently being built in ElíasPiña.

She also announced that: “Soon we shall open the Luis Medrano González Education Center in Pedernales, with capacity for 1,330 students, and which has been built with an investment of twenty eight million seventy three thousand five hundred and thirty seven pesos (RD$28,073,537).”

She also reported that on Wednesday the 25th”we will have the pleasure of delivering the Professor Juan Bosch School to the community of Brisasdel Este in Santo Domingo.”

Lic. Pimentel recalled that in recent months over 600 new classrooms have been added to the school system, “but by the end of the current government period, we intend to open 100 additional new schools.”

During the event the governor and the senator of the Elías Piña province, Rosario Rodríguez Nova and AdrianoSánchez Roa, respectively, also spoke to highlight the large number of public works that have been built there during the administrations of President Fernández.

Rodríguez Nova also recognized Minister Josefina Pimentel and Engineer William Sifre,MINERD’sDeputy Minister,who is in charge of buildingschools, for having expedited the completion of the school that was being opened.

Young Yohanni Valdez expressed gratitude on behalf of the campus students, faculty and staff, while Father Miguel Seisconducted the religious blessing and highlighted that this is an example of how the public and private sectors can join efforts to achieve public good.

The artistic presentation was offered by the Ana Patricia Martínez school dance group, while the National Anthem was performed bysingerFélix de Oleo, a native of Elías Piña.

The SagradoCorazón de Jesús Fe y Alegríaschool is the third that has been opened so far this year. The first was ElRoblito, in Padre Las Casas, Azua, on January 10, which was built with an investment of two million nine hundred eighty eight thousand pesos (RD$ 2,988,000).

Also, on January 13, the Minister of Education and President LeonelFernándezopened the Professor Juan Bosch school in Cotuí, which was built with an investment totalingforty one million five hundred fifty eight thousand and forty four pesos (RD$ 41,558,044).

The total number of schools that have been opened since June 10, 2011 by the current MINED administration, including these three schools, is 59, with a total investment of two billion twenty eight million six hundred and thirty two thousand four hundred and sixty two pesos (RD$ 2,028,632,462), which have added more than 651 new classrooms to the system.

President LeonelFernández cuts the ribbon at the opening of the SagradoCorazón de Jesús Fe y AlegríaTechnical School, in Comendador, Elías Piña, accompanied by Education Minister Lic. Josefina Pimentel, right. Also on the left are Father Antonio (Tom Lluberes), Father Miguel Seis and the Deputy Minister of Education William Sifre. On the far right is the provincial governor Rosario Rodríguez Nova.

President LeonelFernández and the Education Minister,Lic. Josefina Pimentel, observe two students practicing in the science lab atthe SagradoCorazón de Jesús Fe y AlegríaTechnical School.