De Camps asks to guarantee teaching hours for students

Dominican Republic's Minister of Education, Luis Miguel De Camps, has strongly asserted that students' right to receive their full allocated teaching hours must be protected, even as teachers pursue their demands. Speaking at the opening of the 2026-2027 school year, De Camps stated that educational disruptions stemming from adult disputes are unacceptable.

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No child should lose learning due to a difference between adults.

"No child should lose learning due to a difference between adults," De Camps declared during an event at the Espejo La Milagrosa Basic School. He emphasized that education should not become a battleground for political, union, or sectoral disagreements. While acknowledging teachers' rights to voice aspirations and claims, and the Ministry's obligation to address them, he underscored the paramount importance of safeguarding students' learning time.

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Teachers have the right to present their aspirations and claims, and the Ministry has the obligation to listen to them, respond to them, and honor them with commitment to assume them. But there is also a right that we must all protect; that of our students to receive all the teaching hours they are entitled to.

The minister highlighted that democratic systems allow for debate and dissent, but a line must be drawn to prevent harm to the millions of children, adolescents, and adults within the educational system. "Students and their right to learn must be above all our differences," he insisted.

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Students and their right to learn must be above all our differences.

De Camps also announced that the Ministry is developing a protocol to reinforce adherence to the school calendar and schedule, seeking broad participation and responsibility from all educational stakeholders. He called for a "depoliticization of education," clarifying that this does not mean abandoning discussions on educational policies or oversight, but rather engaging in serious dialogue and criticism without using students as pawns in confrontations. The Ministry remains open to dialogue and committed to improving infrastructure, teacher training, and other essential services to ensure a successful school year.

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We must establish a limit that does not harm the millions of children, adolescents, and adults that make up the educational system.