Santiago.-President Luis Abinader reaffirmed this Saturday his government's commitment to strengthening the Dominican educational system, highlighting the investments made in school infrastructure, technology, student transportation, equipment for educational centers and expansion of opportunities for higher education, during a meeting with meritorious students from Regional Education 08, held at the Ana Josefa Jiménez Educational Center, in southern Santiago.

During a lunch-conversation with representatives of different educational districts in the province, the president urged young people to prepare for the challenges of the future by learning the English language, the responsible use of technology, strengthening values ​​and perseverance as fundamental tools to achieve their goals.

“Knowing English is essential,” said the head of state, pointing out that mastery of a second language opens up greater opportunities for professional growth and social mobility. In that sense, he expressed his interest in continuing to promote increasingly bilingual public education.

President Abinader also motivated students to take advantage of the learning opportunities offered by the Internet and new technologies, while calling for them to develop critical thinking to distinguish truthful information from the misinformation that circulates on social networks.

Likewise, he highlighted the importance of ethics, honesty and civic responsibility in any profession, indicating that knowledge must be accompanied by values ​​to contribute to the development of a better society.

"Success depends on persistence. No matter the difficulties that arise, those who persevere and work with dedication have greater chances of achieving their goals," he stated.

Government strengthens infrastructure and educational technology

During the activity, the president highlighted the actions promoted by his administration to strengthen the national educational system, including the construction and rehabilitation of schools, the expansion of technical education, the expansion of public higher education and the strengthening of free TRAE school transportation.

He recalled that when the government took office, the national student transportation program did not exist and that currently thousands of students receive this service in different provinces of the country, including a large part of the province of Santiago.

He also pointed out that his administration has promoted the construction of school sports roofs and announced that around 1,600 new classrooms will be delivered nationwide by August, while work continues to conclude educational centers that have remained paralyzed since previous years.

Likewise, the educational authorities reported that more than 60% of the country's polytechnics will be equipped with new technological equipment and specialized laboratories, while numerous high schools will receive science and computing laboratories to strengthen technical and scientific training.

As part of this effort, during the meeting the delivery of technological equipment to all participating students was announced.

Digital skills, scholarships and opportunities

The Minister of Education, Luis Miguel De Camps, reported that the National Education Council recently approved the National Education Strategy in Digital Skills, Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence, which will begin to be implemented starting next school year.

Likewise, he highlighted the training of thousands of teachers in artificial intelligence and the actions aimed at preparing students for the new demands of the labor market.

For his part, President Abinader invited young people to take advantage of programs such as “Beca Tu Futuro”, as well as training and employment opportunities in high-demand areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, technology, electronics and electromechanics.

Direct dialogue with students

During the meeting, the students raised concerns related to school infrastructure, construction and repair of schools, laboratories, technical workshops, scholarships, school transportation, technological training, education in values and employment opportunities.

The authorities responded to each of the concerns and presented the projects that the Government is developing to continue strengthening educational quality and expanding development opportunities for Dominican youth.

The activity began with the welcoming words of student Aisha Marier Peras, who thanked the president for taking the time to listen to the concerns and aspirations of young people, highlighting that education continues to be the main tool of social transformation and development for the country.

The meeting was led by the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, and the Minister of Education, Luis Miguel De Camps, who heard first-hand the concerns, proposals and aspirations of the students. The event also served as a space for direct dialogue between the authorities and the educational community, reaffirming the Government's commitment to strengthening education, quality training and creating greater opportunities for Dominican youth.