Government guarantees more than 1,200 new classrooms for the 2025-2026 school year

Santo Domingo.– Less than three weeks before the start of the 2025-2026 school year, President Luis Abinader and the Minister of Education, Luis Miguel De Camps, announced the incorporation of more than 1,200 new classrooms to the education system.

During the follow-up meeting held this Tuesday, both officials assured that everything is ready to receive more than two million students starting Monday, August 25, thanks to significant advances in infrastructure, hiring of personnel, and support services. The Government announced that 1,265 new classrooms will be delivered, a figure that doubles that of the previous year, as part of the strategy to guarantee access and expand coverage, especially in areas with high demand. In addition, it was reported that 302 mobile classrooms are being installed in a first phase and an additional 275 will be placed between September and October, as a complementary measure to address the space deficit.

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During the press conference, Minister De Camps clarified that the formal incorporation of 3-year-old children into the education system will be from the year 2026, and not this year, as previously indicated. Despite this, he highlighted that the process of expanding early childhood education continues, with an offer that has already tripled the number of 3 to 5-year-old children integrated into the system since 2021, in coordination with the INAIPI childcare centers.

Abinader clarifies extended school day is not in danger

Faced with criticism from the opposition Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), which warned about the possible risk of more than 300,000 students being left out of the classrooms, President Abinader responded bluntly that the extended school day is not in danger, and that more than 205,000 new students have been incorporated into the extended school day model between 2020 and 2025.

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The president reiterated that school buildings are being delivered in provinces such as La Altagracia, Monte Plata and San Pedro de Macorís, while the National Institute of Student Welfare (INABIE) continues the distribution of food, furniture, books and technological equipment. In parallel, more than 124 thousand teachers are being trained under the STEAM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), with the aim of modernizing teaching. The authorities urged parents and guardians to send their children from the first day of classes, insisting that the system is prepared and that any inconvenience will be addressed promptly. “The beginning of the school year not only marks a new academic calendar, but an opportunity to continue transforming Dominican education from its foundations,” highlighted President Abinader.