The Ministry of Education hands out 95 scholarships to Elementary and Intermediate level students

The Ministry of Education hands out 95 scholarships to Elementary and Intermediate level students
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 07/25/2011

The Minister of Education, Mrs. Josefina Pimentel, handed out 95 certificates to as many families who benefited from the School Scholarship Program in participating educational centers, selected by the Ministry of Education (MINERD). The scholarships will allow the students to conclude their elementary or intermediate level studies.

“I treasure the fact that, for the first time, the Ministry is holding a public act to hand out the fruit of this commitment to parents, so that it may help to create a greater bond and enhance their interaction with us and with the General Direction for Student Welfare,…”

The certificate, which states that a given family is the beneficiary, provides the winner with the right to continue his/her studies in a private educational center, indefinitely, so long as he/she keeps his/her grades at 80 or higher in every class taken, shows good behavior and participates in all scheduled school activities.

Addressing the audience at the closing act, minister Pimentel said that these scholarships show that MINERD is satisfying the agreement it has with certified educational centers, so that every year, small and young children may have the opportunity of receiving a scholarship, which will serve to stimulate an integrated development and allow families to meet their child´s basic needs, not only in financial terms, but also in terms of their universal right to receive quality education.

“I treasure the fact that, for the first time, the Ministry is holding a public act to hand out the fruit of this commitment to parents, so that it may help to create a greater bond and enhance their interaction with us and with the General Direction for Student Welfare, entity which will follow up on all the educational processes their children are involved in, and more specifically, so we can pay a tribute to the values of transparency and equality”, she said.

She invited parents to be constant companions to their children and to raise them in a setting of values so that in their future, they will become outstanding men and women.

She also thanked the principals of the private educational centers, as well as regional directors for supporting MINERD in the selection of scholarship recipients and for being constantly attentive to the needs of the education community, and of the families in their respective regions.

During the act, Minister Pimentel handed out the certificates, in a symbolic gesture, to the Betances Lee and Durán Jáquez families, in representation of all beneficiaries. Likewise, she signed an agreement-commitment that obliges parents and beneficiaries to comply with the terms of the scholarship.

Opening words were pronounced by the Director of Student Social Services, Delfi Castillo. The Coordinator for Student Support, Juana Acosta, presented the rules of the School Scholarship Program and Mr. Miguel Betances, speaking on behalf of beneficiary families, said some words of gratitude.

The certification delivery act was planned by MINERD´s General Direction for Student Welfare, in coordination with Student Social Services and the General Direction for Private Educational Institutions.

The Minister of Education, Mrs. Josefina Pimentel, and the vice minister in charge of student wellbeing, Susana Michel, with families who benefited from the school scholarship program.