DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The closure of hundreds of private schools in the Dominican Republic over the past six years has placed a significant burden on the public education system, according to education sector leaders, Diario Libre reports. While official data doesn’t directly track the movement of students from closed private schools to public ones, experts believe it is a key factor behind the increased demand for public school enrollment. The public school system is now hard pressed to meet the demand in time for the school year that opens this August 2025.

Once the government authorized that 4% of the GDP be allocated to public school education in 2012, private schools found themselves hardpressed to compete for students. The better teachers in private schools moved on to the better-paying public schools that also offered better perks. Likewise, parents were attracted by free school meals...