The restoration and enhancement work on the entire building of the Domingo Faustino Sarmiento School No. 1, in Paraná, is 87.20 percent complete. The work, which is being carried out by the company Cemyc Construcciones, will require, once completed, an investment of more than 8 million pesos. The tasks include resolving all construction problems and putting the facilities in general order.
The specific works consist of rebuilding the Multipurpose Hall; repairing the roof, replacing all the metal sheets, waterproofing and rebuilding the storm drains; restoring the assembly hall, replacing the wooden floors, moldings, boisserie, stage and perimeter balcony to reuse this currently unused space; replacing damaged floors; recovering all the carpentry, replacing the glass and leaving it in perfect working order.
Recovery of the National College of Paraná
The recovery of the National College is part of the repair and enhancement works of historic buildings carried out by the provincial government. Its construction dates back to the end of the 19th century and therefore belongs to the group of public buildings with historical heritage value. On the occasion of the start of the 2010 school year at this institution, on March 1, Governor Sergio Urribarri highlighted the values, history, and culture represented by “this icon that is the Colegio Nacional”.
“I believe that this could be the model school of the country, combining its antiquity and its modernity, and it has all the possibilities to be a reference in education since the teachers of this school work together every day so that we have the best graduates,” said Caviglia. For her part, the school principal, Griselda Polter de Ferreira, referring to the works, emphasized that “at no time were the activities suspended, since both students and teachers were adapting to the facilities we had. The school has many small places where we could have space and that is how the library was transformed into a classroom, the video room was transformed into another classroom, and now we are going to do the same. This is going to take us a large part of this year, so with a lot of patience and the good disposition of everyone we will continue in this dynamic.”
The history
The Domingo Faustino Sarmiento School Nº 1 has one of the most significant histories of the Argentine educational system, consolidated through the long path traveled over time, forming good citizens for the immediate future, with a projection in time and an insertion in the most varied areas, which has given it a privileged place compared to other institutions. “Dr. Antonio Serrano” currently operated from 1892 to 1914, when it was installed in its current building and began to operate in two shifts: morning and afternoon.
Thanks to the efforts of Governor Clemente Basavilbaso who committed his family to the founding of the college, and gave ample support to the project, the Government of the Nation elevated it to the category of National College. It thus joined the few Secondary Level Institutes that existed in the province: the Historic College of Concepción del Uruguay and the Normal School of Paraná, which trains teachers.