Ministry of Education Renovates Twenty Thousand Classrooms with $300 Million Peso Investment

Ministry of Education Renovates Twenty Thousand Classrooms with $300 Million Peso Investment
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 8/1/2012

For the second year in a row, the Ministry of Education (MINERD in Spanish) is undertaking a large maintenance project at the public schools in preparation for the 2012-2013 academic year, which begins on August 20. The project is being carried out with a budget of 300 million Dominican pesos.

“Where ever a repair is needed, a repair will be carried out so that the schools remain dignified, clean and welcoming places of learning and true centers for education,” said the Director of School Maintenance.

The MINERD, through its General Office of School Maintenance and Infrastructure, in collaboration with the educational community, is planning to renovate some 20,000 classrooms in 3,000 schools at different points around the country.

The school maintenance and beautification project will take place in every region in the country. The work includes repair of the sanitary systems, electricity, painting and cleaning the exteriors of the school buildings.

Work has already gotten underway and is expected to continue until September.

The architect, Julio Peña, Director General of School Maintenance, explained that the total amount earmarked for the project, 129 million pesos, will be distributed in materials and paint while 171 million has been deposited into the accounts of the Decentralized School Districts to be used for repair of bathrooms, electrical systems, doors, windows and conditioning for areas outside the buildings. Resources being used for this 2012 summer renovation project came from the MINERD’s general funds budget.

Minister of Education, Josefina Pimentel, is interested in seeing that all school classrooms and buildings are clean and freshly painted for the start of the school year.

“Where ever a repair is needed, a repair will be carried out so that the schools remain dignified, clean and welcoming places of learning and true centers for education,” said the Director of School Maintenance.

He urged the Parent Teacher and Friends of the Schools Associations (APMAE) and the communities in general to get involved in this summer project with the goal of making the school maintenance effort more efficient.

During this same period last summer, 2011, MINERD undertook a similar maintenance and beautification project of 16,500 classrooms.