Abinader urges school community to attend Monday's school year start

President Luis Abinader has called on the entire educational community to support the start of the new school year on Monday, August 24, urging students, parents, teachers, and authorities to attend from the first day. More than two million students are expected to return to public schools across the Dominican Republic, marking the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year Source: hoydo.

The occasion

Abinader made the appeal during the inauguration of a covered court at the Prof. Leonor Novas Volquez school in Jimaní Viejo, a project that cost RD$20,486,398.61 and includes a court roof, multi-purpose space, bathrooms, and landscaping Source: hoydo. The project benefits 685 students according to hoydo, while elcaribedr reports it will benefit more than 1,500 students Source: elcaribedr. Education Minister Luis Miguel De Camps emphasized that the inauguration sends a clear message: the return to classes is not just a return to school, but a return to better learning conditions Source: hoydo.

The program's origin

Abinader explained that the school roofing program originated from a 2021 meeting in Jimaní with high school students, where a student invited him to play basketball at 11 a.m. under the sun to demonstrate their conditions. This experience prompted the nationwide roofing initiative Source: elcaribedr.

Student perspective

Student Antony Félix, in sixth grade, thanked authorities for the space, noting it will teach children that winning isn't always about coming first, but about effort, resilience, and respect Source: hoydo. The inauguration comes just days before the school year begins, with schools across the country opening their doors Source: elcaribedr.