Dominican teachers warn classroom deficit threatens school year start

The Corriente Magisterial Juan Pablo Duarte (CMJPD) has warned that the start of the 2026-2027 school year in the Dominican Republic is at risk due to a persistent deficit of 4,166 classrooms and over 300,000 students without school slots. The teachers' group also cited delays in publishing the results of the Teacher Performance Evaluation, which affects incentive payments. Source: hoydoSource: eldiado

The deficits

According to a survey by the CMJPD, the country needs 7,000 new classrooms; after 1,157 were delivered last year and 1,684 announced for this period, a shortfall of 4,166 remains. The group highlighted specific regional shortages, such as over 50 classrooms needed in San Juan de la Maguana and 37 in San Pedro de Macorís. Source: eldiado They also noted that many schools are still undergoing renovations that started late, casting doubt on their readiness. Source: hoydo

Evaluation delays

Despite the evaluation process ending on June 27, the Ministry of Education has not released official scores or the appeals protocol required by Ordinance 18-25. The CMJPD called this a "táctica dilatoria" (delaying tactic) and demanded results before the school year begins to avoid tensions. Source: hoydo

Contradictions

De la Rosa pointed out the contradiction between government announcements of modernization and the lack of basic infrastructure, saying: "No es posible hablar de inteligencia artificial, educación STEAM y revolución robótica cuando todavía existen escuelas sin aulas suficientes." Source: eldiado