Here are some answers to your questions. You have to note that the DR education system is varied - state schools - about 70 or 80% of children go there, woefully underfunded and substandard, with under-qualified teachers and short school hours, and the private sector which can range from very basic to extremely high-tech and sophisticated, with fees to match!
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Not sure what this means. A proportion of children who go to state schools are of Haitian origin and some of them might go back to Haiti with their DR education so it would have some influence, I suppose.
Depends on the school. I've heard lots of reports of physical punishment and verbal abuse by teachers, mainly in state schools but also in the lower-end of the private sector. This would not be policy as it is against the law, but it happens. I'm sure the more traditional schools are stricter, but I doubt that discipline is effective in most state school classrooms.
Varies according to school. Some celebrate 'international' celebrations like Halloween and Valentine's, some are purely Dominican/Catholic. The international schools will celebrate foreign holidays, mainly US ones.
Again, depends on the school. There are Catholic schools, Protestant schools which are by definition religious-based, but most secular schools observe mainstream Catholic traditions to some extent. The official curriculum includes religious education but I think some schools opt out. As the DR has no separation between church and state the official religion is Catholicism. If you are set on finding a completely non-religious school, you will not find it easy, but there are one or two in the private sector that consciously cater for a diverse international crowd and make a point of not bringing religion into the classroom.
Please help me with these questions it is very hard to find this information on the internet. Thanks
Hope this is helpful.