Ministry of Education Will Hand Over 100 Schools before the End of the Year

Ministry of Education Will Hand Over 100 Schools before the End of the Year
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 9/20/2011

Minister of Education, Josefina Pimentel, announced that, as of Monday September 19, the Ministry of Education (MINERD in Spanish) completed the hand-over of 50 new schools that are ready for use this academic year. Another 50 schools will be ready to be inaugurated in the coming six months, bringing the total of new schools to 100, all to be put into service before the end of the year.

The Ismael Miranda School, inaugurated in Enriquillo, Barahona, was built with an investment of $80,410, 056 pesos and has the capacity to serve 1,400 students in 18 classrooms.

Minister Pimentel made this announcement last weekend at a ceremony held for the inauguration of various schools including Ismael Miranda School in Enriquillo, Barahona and Estanisla Florián School in Neyba, Bahoruco. She also said that a bid is underway for the construction of yet another 50 schools.

The Education Minister explained that these new schools are a result of the “the clear vision of the Government which does not scrimp on efforts or resources when it comes to improving the infrastructure and other vital aspects related to the learning process because, as President Fernández has said, it is education alone that will save the Dominican Republic.”

She added that just a few days ago the National Government Council approved an increase of more than 20 billion pesos for the 2012 education budget, which shows there is enormous support for this sector.

The Ismael Miranda School, inaugurated in Enriquillo, Barahona, was built with an investment of $80,410, 056 pesos and has the capacity to serve 1,400 students in 18 classrooms.

It also has two other first floor classrooms, especially designed for small children, with a bathroom, integrated kitchen and air-conditioned play area which is separated from the areas used by the older students by a chain link fence.

Among the facilities the school possesses are: administrative area for teachers and staff, a resources room and computer and science labs. It also has a multi-purpose room for cultural, recreational and academic activities for the school as well as the community. There is a library, storage and organization room, a prep kitchen and a school cafeteria for school breakfasts as well as a walled garden area.

There are two sports fields with spectator stands where various sports can be played and watched; a dual drinking water supply system connected to an aqueduct with a constant pressure pump to guarantee a permanent supply of water. There is also a cistern with an internal water distribution system through integrated water tanks.

In her inaugural speech, Ms. Pimentel announced that there is more construction underway in Barahona in the following schools: Anaima Tejada School with a $12, 255,400 peso investment; the Jaime Mota School with a $23,565,856 peso investment; the Jaquimelles School with a $32,625,562 peso investment and the El Cachón school with an investment of $19,094, 816 pesos.

The Provincial Governor, Pedro Peña Rubio, also spoke at the event. He said that in less than two years, the federal Government has opened six new schools in Enriquillo.

The Director of Regional District 18, Cándida Espinosa, also spoke at the inaugural event at which Father Pablo Zorrilla gave the invocation. Music was provided by the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Barahona.

This same day, Minister Pimentel handed over the keys to another new school in the municipality of Neyba. The Estanisla Florián (Los Cocos) School has nine classrooms, two of which are on the ground floor along with a bathroom, full kitchen and an air-conditioned play area which is separated, by a fence, from the area used by the older students.

There is an administrative area, a kitchen for storage, organization and distribution of daily school breakfasts. There is a sports field with stands, a garden area and a perimeter fence. To guarantee a permanent supply of drinking water, the school has a dual supply system which consists of an aqueduct with a submersible water pump and a cistern with water distribution through integrated water tanks.

The school was built with an investment of $24, 962, 115 pesos and has the capacity to serve 630 students.

The school was built with an investment of $24, 962, 115 pesos and has the capacity to serve 630 students.

At this opening event, the Minister announced that in Neyba, twenty classrooms are being repaired at the Arzobispo Valera School while seven new schools are being built with an investment of, in the first phase, of $12, 062, 986 pesos, and another $1,088,381 pesos for the second phase.

She also said that work is underway at the Galván Elementary School with an investment of $13,151,368 pesos and at Profesor Humberto Recio middle school with a budget of $51, 362, 625 pesos.

Ms. Pimentel spoke about the inauguration that took place on Friday September 16 in Villa Altagracia at the El Caobal School and that, in the following days, they expected to hand over the Manuel Aurelio Tavárez Justo School in the Brisas sector of Santo Domingo East as well as the Narciso González center in El Tamarindo, Los Alcarrizos.

As part of the inaugural ceremony, a special recognition plaque was given to Mr. Julio M. Vásquez Marcano, who donated the land to build the schools. School Director, Olga Sena, said that finally her school has an adequate locale and building in contrast to the past when the school functioned under the trees and canopies in provisional areas and classrooms.

In both inaugural events in Enriquillo and Neyba, the Education Minister handed over sports equipment and sun lamps donated by the government of Taiwan, as well as the keys and letters of designation naming the personnel and school directors. Both ceremonies were attended by local as well as school authorities from the area and the Deputy Minister of Education in the South, Ruddy María Méndez.


Minister of Education, Josefina Pimentel, is handing over the keys for the Ismael Miranda School of Enriquillo, Barahona, to Isidro Alfonso Garó, at the inaugural ceremony held last Saturday. In the background is the Governor of the province of Barahona, Pedro Peña Rubio.


Minister of Education, Josefina Pimentel, cuts the ribbon to officially open the Estanisla Florián School in Neyba. With the Minister is Regional Education Minister, Mercedes Mella, and School Director, Olga Sena.