Education Minister Presides over Meeting with International Cooperation Agencies

Education Minister Presides over Meeting with International Cooperation Agencies
Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, 06/14/2011

Dominican Minister of Education, Josefina Pimentel, presided over the Education Sector Cooperation Meeting at which she detailed the focal points that sustain her ministry and shared ideas with national representatives of the international cooperation that supports educational development projects in the Dominican Republic.

There were 25 representatives from international cooperation organizations and agencies such as the World Bank, the Franklin Center of the US Embassy, the European Union, UN Development Program (UNDP),…

There were 25 representatives from international cooperation organizations and agencies such as the World Bank, the Franklin Center of the US Embassy, the European Union, UN Development Program (UNDP), US Agency for International Development and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

There were also representatives from the INICIA Foundation, the Organization of Latin American States for Education, Science and Culture, the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID in Spanish), International Plan, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Agency for Japanese Cooperation (JICA) and the Embassies of Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Chile.

Speaking before representatives of the international agencies and organizations and employees of the Ministry of Education (MINERD), Minister Pimental explained that her administration is based on three fundamental pillars, which are: institutional strength, quality and social dialogue.

She said social dialogue is a process of articulation and alignment of the administrative and financial functions of MINERD along with the norms established by those organs that oversee the application of the laws.

Included in this process, she added, is the rendering of accounts to citizens on the use and destination of public funds; the review of MINERD’s organizational structure and strengthening of institutional management with the participation of the National Council on Education.

This procedure, added Ms. Pimentel, seeks to promote social dialogue with all sectors linked to the education system, re-launch and re-orient the sponsorship of schools; strengthen participation among families and create awareness in society about the importance and value of the time spent in school.

Pimental said quality standards are based on reviewing the curricular processes, the creation of the School of Directors, the establishment of a model for Continued Education, a program for make-up exams, professionalization and support for teachers and upgrading and improving school grounds and classrooms.

Víctor Sánchez, Deputy Minister of Education and director of MINERD’s office of Planning and Development, welcomed participants at the meeting.

Víctor Sánchez, Deputy Minister of Education and director of MINERD’s office of Planning and Development, welcomed participants at the meeting. América Bastidas, Deputy Minister of International Cooperation gave a report on what the Cooperation Meeting has been doing since it began in 2004.

In addition, Fernando Ogando, coordinator of MINERD’s Office of International Cooperation (OCI), talked about the 2011 programs currently underway with the help of external resources. These programs include the Ten-Year Plan for the Development of Public Policy (DPL); Support Program for the Sector Educational Policy (PAPSE); the Program for the Strengthening of Early Education (PROFEI); Component 3 of the Youth Development Project (PDJ); the installation of solar panels in school and the building and equipping of Polytechnic institutes in five provinces.