INTEC Rector proposes transforming the education system to face national challenges

Arturo del Villar warns about the decline in student preparation and proposes an integrated education system, from childhood to continuing education, as a response to the country's structural problems.

SANTO DOMINGO. – The rector of Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Arturo Del Villar, considered that the Dominican Republic needs a comprehensive transformation of its educational system that allows for the articulation of training from the first school levels to higher education and continuous training, as a way to face challenges such as violence, femicides and non-compliance with the laws.

During an interview in the program D'AgendaIn the interview, hosted and produced by journalist Héctor Herrera Cabral, the academic stated that education should be conceived as a continuous and coherent path that accompanies the citizen throughout their life.

“Many of the problems we have in this country stem from a lack of education,” said Del Villar, who supported the vision of moving towards greater integration of the national education system and maintained that the countries with the best results have managed to establish an articulated educational trajectory from early childhood education to university.

“Students should arrive at university with the necessary skills to advance immediately in their professional training, without having to spend years correcting previous deficiencies,” he said.

A warning sign: the academic level of entry is decreasing

As evidence of the need to strengthen the education system, the rector revealed that INTEC has observed a significant deterioration in the preparation of students aspiring to enter higher education.

He explained that before the pandemic, between 80% and 85% of applicants passed the university entrance exam, while currently the pass rate is around between 45% and 50%.

The situation, he indicated, affects even students from private and bilingual schools, particularly in fundamental areas such as mathematics and writing.

In his view, these gaps force universities to dedicate time and resources to compensating for deficiencies that should have been overcome in earlier stages of the training process.

Education to build citizenship

For Del Villar, the national challenges related to traffic, solid waste disposal, violence, and femicides have a common root linked to civic education.

He argued that education should not only transmit technical knowledge, but also strengthen values, social responsibility, and respect for the rules of coexistence.

“Until we have an education system that prepares people properly, many of the problems we have as a society will continue,” he stated.

In the case of femicides and other expressions of violence, the rector pointed out that values ​​education and the development of a culture of respect are fundamental tools for generating sustainable changes in the long term.

Artificial intelligence as a cross-cutting theme of the university

As part of its institutional strategy to respond to the transformations of the world of work and knowledge, INTEC is developing a training process for teachers and administrative staff to integrate artificial intelligence in all areas of the university.

The initiative has the support of Miami Dade College, an institution that implemented a similar model to incorporate these tools into all its programs and subjects.

However, Del Villar emphasized that the challenge is not only to use technology, but to train professionals capable of exercising critical thinking, ethical discernment, and social responsibility.

“We want our students to develop technical skills, but also a solid humanistic and ethical education,” he explained.

Lessons from tragedies like Jet Set

During the interview, Del Villar also reflected on the need to strengthen the application of laws and institutional oversight mechanisms after tragedies that have impacted the country.

He considered that the Dominican Republic has adequate regulatory frameworks in numerous areas, but faces difficulties in ensuring their effective compliance.

“We have many laws, but we need to enforce the consequences when the rules are not followed,” he said.

For the rector, institutional strengthening, accompanied by quality education that promotes civic responsibility, constitutes one of the main challenges to building a safer, more organized society prepared to face the challenges of the future.