According to the Ministry of Education, only 59% of the students that are supposed to graduate from high school were able to pass all four parts of the Standardized National Tests (Pruebas Nacionales). The graduates of technical-professions schools performed much better, with 74.8% passing the tests. By subject, the pass levels were 81.3% in Spanish Language; 67% in Math; 81.8% in Social Studies and 73% in Natural Science. A student has to pass all four exams with a grade of 70 or better to gain admission to college or university in the Dominican Republic. There will be a second chance next 12 to 15 August, and teachers, professors and individuals are offering remedial or test-oriented courses in an attempt to help more students to pass.
Commenting on the tests, Diario Libre editorialist Adriano Miguel Tejada suggested that the country spare itself the expense of the tests. “What good are the National Tests? They should serve to improve the educational system, but nothing here is done. The better schools are not rewarded, nor are actions taken at those that do poorly,” he writes.
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