Alarming Dominican Republic Education Report: One in Four Adolescents Out of School

Dominican Republic Education Report: One in Four Adolescents Out of School Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – A concerning new report from the Dominican Initiative for Quality Education (IDEC) reveals that a significant portion of Dominican adolescents are not receiving a formal education. The 2024 Monitoring Report, presented this Thursday, June 5th, 2025, found that one in four adolescents aged 15 to 17 are not attending school. This alarming statistic underscores the ongoing challenges faced by the country's pre-university education system. The report also highlights some positive developments. According to the report's presenter, "The school system shows a sustained increase in enrollment in the second cycle of initial education." This progress, however, is overshadowed by the high dropout rate. More than one-third of young people aged 20-24 have not completed secondary education. IDEC's recommendations include a focus on improving teacher selection processes and the application of meritocratic principles in teacher placement. The report emphasizes the need to recover students who have dropped out and prevent future dropouts. As one IDEC official stated, "It is urgent to adopt measures to recover children, girls, and young people who have left school." This comprehensive approach is crucial to ensuring a brighter future for Dominican youth. Despite the challenges, the report indicates some progress in enrollment and points towards a path for improvement through focused efforts on teacher quality and student retention.