English to be taught as a second language in public schools

Santo Domingo, DR
President Luis Abinader led the presentation of the program for learning English as a second language in public sector educational centers, which will be implemented as of Thursday. The program “Inglés para una Vida Mejor” (English for a Better Life) will begin to be taught in a “pilot” manner in ten educational centers located in the five regional axes of the Ministry of Education.

“The greatest strength we can give them is to put them on a par with other young people who have had access to a bilingual education, because learning to speak English is no longer an option, it is a necessity that makes us more competitive in an increasingly demanding society,” said the President when he delivered the keynote address at the ceremony held in the Las Cariátides hall of the National Palace.

The program was divided into two stages that will seek to implement English from the basic levels. In contrast, the other seeks to immediately impact students in the fifth and sixth grades of secondary school.

This stage is projected to impact some 74,000 students throughout the country by the end of the 2022-2023 school year in Extended School Day centers, taught eight hours a week in the afternoon. Abinader, accompanied by the Minister of Education, Roberto Fulcar, was enthusiastic when he pointed out that education is the most significant investment a country can make.