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Transparent backpack debate exposes differing school needs in Barahona
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic /Culture & Society

Transparent backpack debate exposes differing school needs in Barahona

From Diario Libre · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Debate over transparent backpacks highlights differing realities among Barahona's educational centers.
  • Some schools require them due to past incidents, while others cite scarce internal issues and prioritize security presence and infrastructure.
  • Concerns include overcrowded classrooms, lack of dining facilities, and insufficient school police presence, impacting student safety and learning.

In Barahona, the discussion surrounding transparent backpacks reveals starkly different approaches and priorities among educational institutions. While the Federico Henríquez y Carvajal Technological Institute mandated their use after confiscating dangerous items, other schools report few internal incidents and instead call for increased school police presence and infrastructure improvements.

the incidents internal are scarce and point to more urgent needs as a greater presence of the School Police and improvements in infrastructure.

— authorities of other schoolsAuthorities from some schools in Barahona argue that internal incidents are rare and that other needs, such as increased school police presence and infrastructure improvements, are more pressing than transparent backpacks.

At the Barahona 2 Middle Level Educational Center, director Deysy de Óleo stated that two backpack searches last school year yielded no weapons or illicit substances, only minor items like scissors. Despite this low incidence of serious threats, Óleo highlighted the challenge of managing 610 students with only one school police officer, a situation that leaves the school unprotected when the officer is on leave.

Last year, the center faced conflicts with youths from a nearby sector, prompting disciplinary actions and a request for police assistance during dismissal. De Óleo noted that current issues are typical adolescent conflicts, managed by the school's team, guidance department, teachers, and families.

the two requisas of backpacks carried out during the past school year did not detect weapons, drugs or alcoholic beverages.

— Deysy de ÓleoDeysy de Óleo, director of the Barahona 2 Middle Level Educational Center, reported on the results of backpack searches conducted at her school.

Meanwhile, the José A. Robert Educational Center in Villa Central grapples with severe overcrowding, with some classrooms holding up to 42 students, far exceeding the ideal of 30. The school also lacks a dining hall and a meeting room, forcing students to eat outdoors. This lack of adequate space affects students attending the extended school day.

the conflicts that currently arise are typical of coexistence among adolescents and are addressed by the management team, the guidance department, teachers and families.

— Deysy de ÓleoDeysy de Óleo described how current conflicts are managed at the Barahona 2 Middle Level Educational Center.

At Baitoita Initial and Primary School, director Omaris López Pineda has been requesting a school police officer since 2018 without a definitive response, underscoring a persistent security concern.

some classrooms concentrate up to 42 students, although they consider that the groups should be around 30 to facilitate the teaching process.

— teachersTeachers at the José A. Robert Educational Center reported on classroom overcrowding.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Diario Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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