HA!!!! Maybe at Carol Morgan School in Santo Domingo (about $10,000 US per student,per year). Whoever told you this is out to lunch. The levels of instruction in the US vary all over the place depending on what state you are looking at. For example, schools in Alabama do not compare to schools in Conn. Studies done in the US show unequivocally that the states that spend the most per pupil have the highest graduation rates and the greater number of graduates going on to college. The DR spends a lot less than Alabama per student so what do you think. If you want a half way decent education in the DR you go to one of the good private schools which by the way are operated as money making businesses. A lot of Dominican kids drop out of school long before they reach any level of advanced instruction in math and science. Its hard to make education a priority when you are trying to make enough to feed. the kids and pay the rent. Lastly the unemployment rate is very high in the DR so if and when you do graduate high school there are not a lot of jobs waiting out there for you. A bit more than you asked. Do not mean to rant.
HA!!!! Maybe at Carol Morgan School in Santo Domingo (about $10,000 US per student,per year). Whoever told you this is out to lunch. The levels of instruction in the US vary all over the place depending on what state you are looking at. For example, schools in Alabama do not compare to schools in Conn. Studies done in the US show unequivocally that the states that spend the most per pupil have the highest graduation rates and the greater number of graduates going on to college. The DR spends a lot less than Alabama per student so what do you think. If you want a half way decent education in the DR you go to one of the good private schools which by the way are operated as money making businesses. A lot of Dominican kids drop out of school long before they reach any level of advanced instruction in math and science. Its hard to make education a priority when you are trying to make enough to feed. the kids and pay the rent. Lastly the unemployment rate is very high in the DR so if and when you do graduate high school there are not a lot of jobs waiting out there for you. A bit more than you asked. Do not mean to rant.
Hummm...Can you get a good education in DR public schools? No, not any more. Years ago, like 40 or 45 yes, you got a pretty fair, very stilted education, but in no way comparable to what you could get at the public high schools in the US, BUT SO much better than today. And let me say that some amazing kids get through and are brilliant in college and in graduate school, and I do mean Amazing!!!
As for private schools, well there are a few that teach the children something, but with the exception of perhaps half a dozen or so in the entire country, they cannot come close to the education in the top public schools in the US...places like Bronx High School of Science, or Styvesent (I know that is spelled wrong!) or Ridgewood HS in Ridgewood,NJ or so many others. They have no sports, no arts, nothing beyond the classrooms. There is nothing like "school spirit" here (or anywhere in Latin America for that matter). Lately there has been some athletic involvement or so it seems. We'll see.
So yes, you can learn to read (a little) and write (poorly) in DR public schools and perhaps a wee bit better in the private schools.
Which is why the universities have been absolutely forced to create remedial courses in Math and Spanish!!!
Nowadays, getting through college and going to grad school is the only ticket to job stability.
HB
I have a good friend who lives in Santo Domingo and goes to the public University there. She is very smart and works hard. She is in her 3rd year of University. I am an engineer and I went to university in Canada. She asked me to help her with her math and physics homework. The stuff she was doing in 3rd year public university classes was equivalent to grade 9 math and physics in Canada (junior High School - 13 & 14 year olds).
Based solely on this I would say the state of public education in the DR is horrible. A Canadian expat I talked to in the DR told me that a Canadian high school diploma was roughly equivalent to a masters degree in the DR, in terms of problem solving skills, logical thinking, and ability to learn.
I mainly agree. My wife is a math teacher and has taught in the DR and Canada. My daughter ( environmental engineer) son ( steam-fitter in Alberta), second son ( business degree but currently teaching English in China, where he also teaches science and math) and step-son ( currently in last year of business management at Seneca in Toronto) have all gone through the Canadian school system. I can tell you that the math taught at my wife's poor little private school is equivalent at grade level to Canadian schools ( at least in the 4 provinces I've lived in). The text books they use are developed through USAID and are supplemented by Yris.
I completely agree with you on language skills, physics, critical thinking skills, problem solving skills. As far as the ability to learn - all starts with a good foundation, but Dominicans have the same abilities to learn as anyone else.
Unless of course you go in to a technical trade. Technologists of all sorts are very valuable and earn good money, better in many cases than many people with a master's degree.
I reluctantly agree.I have a good friend who lives in Santo Domingo and goes to the public University there. She is very smart and works hard. She is in her 3rd year of University. I am an engineer and I went to university in Canada. She asked me to help her with her math and physics homework. The stuff she was doing in 3rd year public university classes was equivalent to grade 9 math and physics in Canada (junior High School - 13 & 14 year olds).
Based solely on this I would say the state of public education in the DR is horrible. A Canadian expat I talked to in the DR told me that a Canadian high school diploma was roughly equivalent to a masters degree in the DR, in terms of problem solving skills, logical thinking, and ability to learn.
I'm glad my question elicited such responses. Thank you.
Based on all of your opinions would you then advise against a move to the DR (specifically Santiago) based on the educational disadvantages discussed here. Our daughter is 5 and we are giving serious consideration the move, but want to ensure her education won't suffer as a result. She would be attending one of the top private schools in santiago, but again based on the comments here I'm not sure how much credence to give "top" and "private".