The Dominican Republic Ministry of Education is prioritizing technical training, digital tools and artificial intelligence for 2.6 million students entering the 2026-2027 school year.
Under the strategy for the new academic cycle, educational authorities will focus on strengthening school coverage at the initial education level while transforming secondary schooling across the nation through vocational programs and classroom technology.
Ancell Schéker, the vice minister of technical and pedagogical affairs at the education ministry, explained on Monday that officials aim to expand technical education by unblocking and equipping more than 330 polytechnic secondary schools across the country.
Schéker added that schools will embed a science, technology, engineering and mathematics framework, known as STEM, into student training to build technical skills from early grades onward.
Expansion of polytechnic schools and digital strategy
Speaking during the weekly presidential press briefing in Santo Domingo, Schéker said another core pillar involves implementing a national digital education strategy. The program focuses specifically on developing computational thinking and progressively incorporating artificial intelligence into everyday teaching.
The Ministry of Education, known locally as Minerd, oversees public preschool, primary and secondary education across the Caribbean nation. Secondary polytechnic schools, known as politécnicos, offer specialized technical diplomas alongside academic diplomas to prepare students for technical careers.
The announcement took place during LA Agenda Semanal, a weekly government briefing led by President Luis Abinader. Abinader, who took office in August 2020, uses the Monday sessions to review public policies, and educational authorities used this week's meeting to evaluate ongoing projects, address pending issues and track readiness for the start of the school year.
International partnership with Purdue University
To support its technological transition, the Dominican Republic is building a strategic partnership with Purdue University in the United States, according to Minister Luis Miguel De Camps.
De Camps indicated that the collaboration will create specialized design and innovation centers equipped with advanced technology. These centers will act as educational spaces dedicated to artificial intelligence learning while offering AI literacy programs to prepare students and academic communities for modern employment demands.
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, is a public research institution renowned globally for engineering, computer science and technological research. Dominican officials have set a goal for every province in the country to host at least one design and innovation center by the end of next year, ensuring high-tech training reaches communities outside major urban centers.
