Education Minister Alejandrina German has told Hoy newspaper that her department would be encouraging schools to emphasize reading in the school year that starts today nationwide. This year, students will be required to devote at least one hour to reading and
analyzing texts. It will be obligatory to read a short story to pre-school children for at least 15 minutes. She said the measure is to encourage reading and improve Dominican students’ spelling skills. She said an objective of the new school year is that public schools fulfill the day schedule of 8 am to 12:30 pm at the basic level; 8 to 1:30 pm at the middle level and 8 to 2:30 in the case of the polytechnic institutes. In the afternoon, public schools run from 2 to 5 pm in elementary, and 2 to 6 pm for middle and high school levels. Evening classes are from 6 to 10 pm. Her goal is that by 2015 public schools will only work two shifts per day. A recent Gallup poll revealed that children who attend public schools receive an average of just 2.5 hours of schooling a day. Private school children receive at least double the amount of instruction.
For the first time, parents will receive periodic report cards on their children. The idea is that they take a more active role in their children’s education process.
German estimates that 73% of school age children are enrolled. Another goal is that 100% of children between the ages of 5 and 7 will attend school by 2006-2007. Illiteracy in the DR, according to an October 2002 National Census, is at 11%.
German also announced that bilingual education programs would begin in 17 schools nationwide. Bilingual classes will begin in pre-school, first grade and second grade, adding on grades as the program advances. She explained that the aim is for the students to be fully bilingual by the time they graduate. The minister estimated that 2,650,000 students are enrolled for the 2005-2006 school year.