Pandemic highlights education inequities in the Dominican Republic

On Feb. 14, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Education, Roberto Fulcar, affirmed that there is still no set date for the return of students to the classrooms. He said that decision will depend on the spread of coronavirus across the country in the coming weeks and months.

For private school students with access to the tools of virtual learning, this is not big news. However, for the 80 percent of Dominican students who attend public schools, this delay in their education will only increase the gap of inequality they already suffer from.

I spoke to Thelma De La Rosa Garcia, executive vice president of the Private Schools Association and Former Education Minister Jacqueline Malagon.