Dominican Republic faces educational challenges following PISA results

Recent PISA evaluation results have highlighted significant challenges within the Dominican Republic's educational system. In the assessment of 15-year-old students, the country recorded scores of 361 in Science, 346 in Reading, and 339 in Mathematics. Notably, 69.3% of Dominican students scored below level 2, and none reached levels 5 or 6. These figures contrast sharply with regions in Ukraine, which averaged 448 in Science, 418 in Reading, and 431 in Mathematics.

Experts suggest that these outcomes reflect long-term systemic issues rather than the results of a single administration. While there has been slight improvement in Science and Reading scores compared to 2015, Mathematics performance has not seen similar progress. Discussions regarding the 4% of GDP allocated to education focus on the need for greater efficiency and transparency in resource management rather than reducing investment.

Key recommendations for improvement include increasing the operational efficiency of the Ministry of Education (Minerd), ensuring transparency in public procurement, and preventing the ministry from being used for political purposes. Additionally, there is a call for the Association of Dominican Teachers (ADP) to move beyond union interests to support educational advancement.