Santo Domingo. -The president of the Dominican Association of Teachers (ADP), Eduardo Hidalgo, described this Tuesday the merger of the Ministry of Education (MINERD) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCYT) announced by the government as an “assault” on the 4% allocated to education.
“The merger of MINERD and MESCYT is simply an attack on the 4% funding for education, and will further aggravate the serious crisis facing the Dominican education system,” said Hidalgo.
Hidalgo attributed the decision to the government’s lack of capacity in the education sector. “The inability of the Ministry of Education to respond effectively to the needs of the education system will only worsen the current deficiencies. This decision is not supported by local studies or research that show that the merger of these ministries will improve the quality and efficiency of the education system,” the union leader added.
The ADP president stressed that the government has not presented evidence to support the merger proposal. “So far, the Dominican Government has not demonstrated to the public that the justifications for this merger are based on evidence, educational research or feasibility analyses adapted to the Dominican reality and the nature of both institutions. Neither the Ministry of Public Administration nor the Ministry of the Presidency have shown how the unification of MESCYT and MINERD will optimize resources and improve efficiency in educational spending,” explained Hidalgo.
Hidalgo also pointed to the lack of rigorous studies supporting the merger. “There is no evidence from valid scientific studies showing that the merger of these entities will improve learning or coherence in the integration of the initial, primary, secondary and higher education levels. The government has not presented proven research indicating that this merger will raise the quality of education, from basic to higher education, or that the curricula will better fit the demands of the labor market.”
“Finally, it has not been demonstrated, through experience or studies, that the merger between MESCYT and MINERD will strengthen the national education system, align education with the country’s priorities in science and technology, or promote regional development or equity in the distribution of resources. We are faced with a merger that lacks foundations, background and evidence to support it,” Eduardo Hidalgo concluded in a press release.
