School year will start with new feats and many shortcomings

Santo Domingo.- As the 2023-2024 school year approaches, education authorities are gearing up to implement various initiatives that have long been overdue.

Starting from August 28, when over 1.8 million students at the initial, primary, and secondary levels in the public sector return to classrooms, the Ministry of Education (Minerd) is set to enhance its school transportation plan. An additional 220 buses will join the existing fleet in Greater Santo Domingo, with plans to expand to Santiago, San Cristóbal, San Francisco de Macorís, and other provinces.

Minerd anticipates that around 12,000 new students will join the public education system, including the enrollment of three-year-old children for the first time. This expansion aligns with President Luis Abinader’s announcement in August of the previous year. Furthermore, efforts are being directed towards English language training programs for both teachers and students.

English education within schools has been flagged as lacking over the years, failing to produce sufficient results to claim that students leave public school with a strong command of the language. Given the significant role English has in the job market, both locally and internationally, and the growing list of valuable opportunities associated with its proficiency, President Abinader declared English learning to be an “unpostponable” priority in June. He urged all stakeholders in the national education system to envision students graduating with proficiency in both Spanish and English by the time they complete their secondary education.