2026-2027 school year begins with an enrollment of 2.6 million students
With the commitment to transform educational quality in the Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinader and the Minister of Education officially opened the 2026-2027 school year. The event, held at the Espejo La Milagrosa Primary School in Santo Domingo East, marked the return to classrooms for more than 2.6 million students nationwide.
During the event, Minister Luis Miguel De Camps called on Dominican society to ensure that interest in the educational system is not limited solely to the start of the school year. The official highlighted that the constant attention of families, the media, and communities is vital to guarantee a successful academic process.
We have received observations, concerns, but also proposals and constructive criticism. We have listened to them with openness, as is appropriate, because this is a challenge for everyone.
Luis Miguel De Camps, Minister of Education
School enrollment details
The Dominican educational system presents a projection of 2,686,971 students for this new academic cycle. The distribution of this figure reflects the reach of the public and private system in the national territory:
- Public sector: 2,084,202 students.
- Private sector: 602,769 students.
Regarding the breakdown by academic level, the minister detailed that the primary level leads enrollment with 1,197,014 students, followed by the secondary level with 869,750. For its part, early childhood education has 422,518 children, while the adult subsystem includes 197,689 people.
Focus on quality and modernization
The Ministry of Education has focused its efforts in this 2026-2027 period on improving school infrastructure and the continuous training of teaching staff. The goal is to provide teachers with modern pedagogical tools that respond to the current challenges of teaching.
Likewise, the integration of computer and communications laboratories in educational centers, especially in polytechnics, seeks to strengthen students’ technological competencies. According to the authorities, these initiatives are fundamental to prepare Dominican youth for the demands of the labor market and global advancements.
De Camps emphasized that, although the start of classes is a significant logistical challenge, the true challenge lies in what happens inside the classrooms over the coming months, urging that monitoring education be a permanent commitment of all sectors of society.
