The Vice President of the Republic and the Minister of Education Deliver School in Pedernales

The Vice President of the Republic and the Minister of Education Deliver School in Pedernales
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, February 22, 2012

Vice President Dr. Rafael Albuquerque and the Minister of Education Lic. Josefina Pimentel declared open the newly remodeled and expanded Luis Medrano González educational center, located in the province of Pedernales.  The work was carried out with an investment of 28,073,537 pesos.

“The government and the Ministry of Education will continue to work hand in hand to improve the nation’s school infrastructure and the processes related to the national educational system …”

In her keynote address, the Minister of Education stated, “With the delivery of this school, which will receive 1,330 students in 21 classrooms, President Leonel Fernández is fulfilling a promise made during the Government Council on September 15, 2010.”

The educational center also includes a multipurpose room for cultural, recreational, and academic activities, a kitchen to organize and distribute school breakfast and other meals, as well as two gardens topractice agricultural techniques.

The expansion work includes five classrooms as the school previously only had 16.  There is also an administrative area, a library, two computer labs and one science lab, a sports field with bleachers, and a civic area with a flagpole and a commemorative plaque to pay tribute to the patriotic values.

There is also a garden, a perimeter fence, and a dual drinking water supply system with a submersible pump and a normally grounded aqueduct and cistern with an 8,000 gallon capacity.

During her speech, Lic. Josefina Pimentel stated that with the remodeling and expansion of the educational center in Pedernales, 14 new schools have been delivered since the beginning of the year, and 77 educational centers around the country have been delivered since June 10, 2011.

Lic. Pimentel also stated, “The government and the Ministry of Education will continue to work hand in hand to improve the nation’s school infrastructure and the processes related to the national educational system.  In all of these essential tasks we have the constant support of President Leonel Fernández Reyna, who opened two educational centers in San Pedro de Macorís last week, which were built with a total investment of more than 72 million pesos.”

She added that one of the schools was the Liceo Pedro Mir, with 16 classrooms, and the other was the Escuela Básica Luis Bermúdez, with 22 classrooms, improved with an investment of 22,856,053 pesos.

According to the Minister of Education, on January 24, President Fernandez opened the Liceo Técnico Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Fe y Alegría in Elías Piña, which was built with an investment from the central government of 77,122,701 pesos to serve a student body of 630.  The President later opened the Escuela Juan Bosch in Cotuí, made of 16 classroomsand which can serve 1,120 students, at a cost of RD$558,044.44.

The blessing of the event was performed by Father Antonio Fernández, from Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia Parish.  Darianna Matos, a third year middle school student gave thanks.

The Minister of Education, Josefina Pimentel speaks during the inauguration of the Luis Medrano González educational center in Pedernales.  From left to right, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Alejandrina Germán; Pedernales Senator, Dionis Sánchez; the Vice President of the Republic, Rafael Albuquerque; Pedernales Governor, Leovigildo Méndez; and Mariano German, Director of INAPA.