Education begins school year with focus on learning and AI

Schools across the Dominican Republic have reopened their doors, marking the start of the 2026-2027 academic year with a projected enrollment of 2,686,971 students. The official launch ceremony was led by President Luis Abinader and Minister of Education Luis Miguel De Camps at a primary school in Santo Domingo Este.

This academic year places a strong emphasis on enhancing student learning, broadening digital education, and progressively incorporating artificial intelligence into the curriculum. Minister De Camps highlighted that the period, running from August to June 18, 2027, will also aim to improve literacy and numeracy skills, especially in the foundational years of schooling. Furthermore, the ministry seeks to expand opportunities in technical-professional education, arts, robotics, and STEM/STEAM fields.

A significant initiative for this year is the gradual implementation of the National Digital Education Strategy. This strategy includes computational thinking, digital competencies, and AI within the students' educational pathways. "It's not just about teaching them to use new tools," De Camps stated. "We want them to learn to understand them, use them with critical judgment, question them when necessary, and leverage them for learning, creation, and problem-solving."

The projected enrollment includes 2,084,202 students in public schools and 602,769 in private institutions. The breakdown by educational level shows 422,518 in early childhood education, 1,197,014 in primary, and 869,750 in secondary education, with an additional 197,689 in adult education programs. A major challenge for the year is ensuring students not only attend but also remain in school and achieve better learning outcomes throughout the academic period.

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It's not just about teaching them to use new tools. We want them to learn to understand them, use them with critical judgment, question them when necessary, and leverage them for learning, creation, and problem-solving.