Ministry of Education Hands Over Three Schools to Communities in San Cristobal

Ministry of Education Hands Over Three Schools to Communities in San Cristobal
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  2/2/2012

The Ministry of Education simultaneously inaugurated three schools last Wednesday in various locales in the province of San Cristobal at an event headed by Education Minister Josefina Pimentel.

Daza I Education Center was also inaugurated in San Cristobal through an investment of 4 million pesos. This school serves a population of 1,330 students in its four classrooms including one more for Pre-K and, like all the others, repair work was also done here.

At the official opening of the three schools, held in Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School, one of the new schools in Villa Altagracia´s community of Quijá Quieta, Minister Pimentel also inaugurated Pedro Usera and Daza I School. The three schools were built with a budget of over 40 million Dominican pesos.

Our Lady of Fatima Elementary in Villa Altagracia has the capacity to serve 490 students in its 7 classrooms including one for Pre-K. It also has a computer lab with 10 computers, a sports field with bleacher seats, an administrative area, kitchen for food storage and preparation and to serve school breakfasts, an outer surrounding fence, a garden and a civic area for school and civic patriotic events.

There is also a dual water storage system available that consists of an aqueduct, an underground water pump to guarantee ongoing and permanent water distribution and a cistern with a capacity of 4,000 gallons with an internal distribution with water tanks. This school was built with an investment of 23,644,267 pesos.

On the other hand, the Father Usera School of Villa Altagracia has 8 classrooms, an administrative area, kitchen, civic plaza, garden, outer fence and dual drinking water storage system. This school, which will serve 560 students, was built with an investment of 12,382,095 pesos. On the inside of the school, two of classrooms and the floors were repaired; there was a change of zinc to aluminum-zinc, a paint job and window protectors were installed.

Daza I Education Center was also inaugurated in San Cristobal through an investment of 4 million pesos. This school serves a population of 1,330 students in its four classrooms including one more for Pre-K and, like all the others, repair work was also done here.

Speaking at the event, Minister Pimentel said that with these schools, a total of seven have been inaugurated by the Ministry of Education (MINERD in Spanish) in just one month and since the beginning of 2012. The first was El Roblito in the community with the same name in Padre las Casas, Azua on January 10th. This was built with an investment of 2,988,024 pesos.

The Minister reminded people of the inauguration on January 13th of the Professor Juan Bosch School in Cotuí, province of Sánchez Ramírez which was attended by President Leonel Fernández. This work was done with an investment of 41,558,044 pesos. Several days later, on January 20th, both she and the President inaugurated the Sacred Heart of Jesus Technical School in Comendador, Elías Piña. This was built with an investment of 77, 122,701 peso and serves a population of 630 students.

Likewise on January 25th, Minister Pimentel opened the Juan Bosch School in the Las Brisas Sector of Santo Domingo East, built with an investment of 23,842,849 pesos.

Pimentel affirmed that the opening of the three schools in the province of San Cristobal brings the number of schools handed over by MINERD to 64 since her time as Minister, which began June 10th of last year.

In her closing words, she urged the educational community of the province, parents and students to make an effort to keep the new schools in good shape, clean, organized and a harmonious atmosphere. “Schools should be temples for learning, for the heart and soul of these cherished communities.”

She gave the keys to the schools as well as school supplies and letter of support personnel designation to Máximo Figueroa, Director of Our Lady of Fatima School and to the Directors of Pedro Usera and Daza I Schools, Ana Victoria Mercedes and Daniela Castillo, respectively. After that, she took a tour of the schools.

Others present at the event included William Sifres, Deputy Minister in charge of School Building Construction; Dinorah Cabrera, Regional Director of San Cristobal; Mayor of Villa Altagracia, José Miguel Méndez as well as teachers, students, parents and friends of the school.

Education Minister, Josefina Pimentel, cuts the ribbon at Our Lady of Fatima School. From left to right, she is accompanied by Dignora Cabrera, Director of Regional 04-1 School District of San Cristobal; José Miguel Méndez, Mayor of Villa Altagracia; Ana Victoria Mercedes, Director of Pedro Usera School and Máximo Figueroa, Director of Our Lady of Fatima School.