By Esteban Cabrera
Vuelta Larga, Imbert, Puerto Plata, RD: The young community woman, Lida, Jenny Ventura, denounced before the director of the newspaper El Faro Latino, Esteban Cabrera, that officials of the regional Education # 011 of this province ordered to cover part of the cracks that affect the structure of the rural school in this community, whose deterioration process is so advanced that it could collapse at any moment, leaving more than 90 children and teachers buried.
The newspaper El Faro Latino has echoed the denunciations of the Vuelta Larga community, which has generated the anger of the regional director of Education # 011 of this province, Leónidas Payamps Cruz, alias (Sarah), who called our lord a liar. Director for echoing the complaints and presenting photographs of the advanced state of deterioration as an irrefutable testimony, which does not allow a lie.
Speaking exclusively to the newspaper El Faro Latino, Jenny Ventura, a small businesswoman who co-owns a dairy in the region, called on President Luis Abinader to order a thorough investigation into the case of the Vuelta Larga school since the education authorities have ignored the delicate situation, which could degenerate into an actual human tragedy if they try to start the school year without making repairs to the campus.
EL: We are witnessing a problem that is severely impacting this humble community, and that is that we have had the opportunity to cover what is happening with the structure of this school that is collapsing; however, they did some reports in the newspaper El Faro Latino, then they came and what they did was that they sent the children home without guaranteeing the repair and the school year is just around the beginning what do you have to say?
JV: That’s right, in response to the call of parents and teachers to come to the aid of this community and this school, that it is a community problem that the children are receiving classes in this establishment that is not suitable to receive people because at any moment it can collapse and that is a situation that must be given importance, we consider. The danger is so great that they decided to teach in the schoolyard in the open, under the sun and in contaminated dust.
JV: “Until now, the authorities have not received a response. They have come to inspect when requested, but as you can see, the school is still in the same state. If I remember correctly, corrections were made in putty and cement.
EL: Do you mean they have painted the cracks instead of making the repairs to open and start the school year in these deplorable conditions?
JV: “Exactly, the school year is about to start, and the danger of death for children and teachers remains the same. If I remember correctly, the education authorities sent to carry out some repairs that consisted of putting putty and cement to make up the cracks, but the danger is even worse.”
EL: Is the danger that hangs over the students and the teaching staff still latent?
JV: “That’s right. That represents a real danger if one considers that the school year will start in the next few days. I am trying to understand why the required repairs were not done during the holiday.
EL: When the first report from the newspaper El Faro Latino came out, they did nothing and just sent the children home to avoid the media scandal to end the school year without having a digital infrastructure for virtual classes because they don’t have adequate internet connections. What do you think of that?
JV: “They came and sent the children to their homes, but they have not given adequate repair to this campus, and so what are they thinking? If the school year is going to start this month, stir in the next few days, and the school situation continues in the same conditions. So we’d like to call on the responding authorities to come to the aid of this community.
Construction of a new school has been paralyzed for over eight years, trapped in inefficient government bureaucratic procedures.
“We also have a school over eight years old, if I am not mistaken, under construction and has yet to be finished. I don’t know what to expect. What happens in a situation where we lament to come to the aid of the community of Vuelta Larga?
The incredible! So who do you want at this moment in the name of the Vuelta Larga Community to make a call?
JV: “To the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader Corona and the Minister of Education, Ángel Enrique Hernández Castillo, I consider that they are the corresponding authorities to order the performance of said work.”
EL: Very good; well, then, ladies and gentlemen, it has all been due to this laconic intervention by this young community member and the newspaper El Faro Latino, which will be strictly monitoring this significant problem because here an unfortunate tragedy could occur in the one that more than 92 children who study in this school can be buried under the rubble of this ancient structure that is about to collapse. Where they came and putty so that the newspapers do not capture the cracks and the deplorable bad conditions of this place. So thank you very much, and this has been all for today directly from Vuelta Larga, Imbert, Puerto Plata, reported for El Faro Latino, the newspaper of the Dominican diaspora. Stephen Cabrera.
