Education in Dominican Republic

In Dominican Republic, education is free and compulsory at the elementary level, and free but non mandatory at secondary level. It is divided into four stages:
preschool education (Nivel Inicial);
primary education (Nivel Básico);
secondary education (Nivel Medio).
higher education (Nivel Superior).

School Grades
The school year in Dominican Republic begins in mid-August and classes are held from Monday to Friday. The school year consists of two terms, which are separated by Christmas holidays in winter season, and an eight-week-long summer break. The year structure is summarized in the table below.

Age Grade Educational establishments
3-4 Maternal Preschool Education
(Nivel Inicial)
Special School
(Educación Especial)
4-5 Kinder
5-6 Pre-primario
6-7 1 Elementary school
(Nivel Básico)
Compulsory Education
7-8 2
8-9 3
9-10 4
10-11 5
11-12 6
12-13 7
13-14 8
14-15 1 High school / Secondary school
(Nivel Medio, known popularly as Bachillerato)
Institute of Technology
(Politécnico)
15-16 2
16-17 3
17-18 4