Inclusive Education Costs Up to 35 Times More per Student With Complex Disabilities

The Dominican Republic spent less than 0.35% of its Education Ministry budget on special education on average from 2014 through 2025, even as supporting some students can cost up to 35 times more than educating a regular student.

A diagnosis published by the Ministry of Education examined both spending and the support required by students with specific educational needs. It found wide swings in investment. Special education represented 1.14% of the ministry’s budget in 2014, when spending reached 1,212.2 million pesos, largely for technology equipment. In 2015, spending fell 88.81% to 135.7 million pesos, reducing its share to 0.12%.

Investment declined again between 2016 and 2018, then rose sharply in 2019 and 2020 before falling 12.25% in 2021 during a period affected by the pandemic. Spending increased again from 2022, rising 11.44% that year, 14% in 2023, 56.97% in 2024 and 51.19% in 2025. The 2024 increase partly reflected the transfer of the Comprehensive Disability Care Center, known as CAID, to the ministry as an executing unit.

The cost gap is greatest for students with deafblindness and multiple disabilities. The diagnosis estimates an average of 4,607,449.73 pesos per student, equivalent to 34.9 times the regular cost. Physical-motor disabilities cost about 4,352,575.14 pesos per student, or roughly 33 times the regular amount.

The higher costs cover support teachers, therapists, aides, communication and mobility technology, accessibility improvements, adapted furniture and therapeutic equipment. Specialized staff account for 80% to 90% of the total cost in the most complex cases. Students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities also form a higher-cost group, although the available text does not provide their full figures.