Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
According to UIS data, the official entrance age to pre-primary education is 3 years old as of 2023. The number of years of free pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks is 3 years, and the number of years of compulsory pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks is 3 years as of 2023. The net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes was 60.79% as of 2024.
Governance
Pre-primary education (Nivel Inicial) in the Dominican Republic is financed and administered by the Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación – MINERD) under the framework of the General Law on Education (Law 66-97). According to Article 7 and Article 33, the State must provide free education at the initial level in public institutions, with the last year (at age five) being compulsory. Financing is centralized and managed directly by MINERD through the national education budget, as established in Articles 197–200. While public pre-primary education is fully funded by the State, private pre-primary schools do not receive State financing but must comply with regulations issued by MINERD.
Tuition-free status
Pre-primary education is tuition-free, according to laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Pre-primary education is part of compulsory education and is financed under the General Law of Education (Ley No. 66-97), which sets an equity principle for resource allocation, considering enrollment and district-specific challenges. In practice, however, distribution is mainly enrollment-based, assuming uniform per-student costs. The National Office of Planning and Educational Development (ONPDE) sets annual decentralised per-student expenditure using a formula with equity measures for pre-university funding, also applied to Nivel Inicial. The transfer programme allocates staff and salaries by district enrollment, with extra funds for poorer districts. In addition, the National Institute of Student Welfare (INABIE), a decentralised agency of MINERD, receives annual funds to support vulnerable children with meals and social services, reinforcing equity at the pre-primary level.
2. Education resources to institutions
No government subsidies allocated to public pre-primary institutions with equity dimensions were found.
3. Education resources to students and families
No financial support mechanisms for pre-primary education financed by the Ministry of Education were found.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
No financial support mechanisms for pre-primary education financed by other ministries were found.
