Education

Upon our arrival in Boca Chica one afternoon, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood to see what was going on. It was around 4 and a public school was just letting out. I was surprised by the fact that every child was wearing a school uniform. In the U.S. most public schools let the kids wear whatever they want. It got me interested in the education system in the Dominican Republic and this is what I found...


Children ages 7 to 14 are required to attend school in the Dominican Republic. However, many children drop out of school before they reach these requirements, of this group many are girls. With so many children attending public school, there is often a lack of teachers, facilities and funding. Classes in public schools are taught in Spanish, while private schools are often bilingual. Although public school education is provided to citizens at no cost, they still are required to pay for the school uniforms and books.


As of 2009, the adult literacy rate was at 89 according to a United Nations Development Programme. In Santo Domingo the oldest university in the Americas, Santo Tomas de Aquino University, was created in 1538. Today it is known as the University of Santo Domingo.


Photo credit: ME