NewsWhore
08-13-2008, 03:50 PM
The best inheritance a parent can give to a child is education, according to an old saying, but the investment that is required to achieve this goal is getting larger every passing year. According to the El Caribe, this new school year means parents in the DR will need to spend RD$13,375 to RD$33,000 for the child to go to private school with new uniforms and supplies.
One mother "cried to the heavens" when she realized the cost of sending her two children to school. Registration fees were RD$7500 each; required textbooks and supplies were RD$15,000 for the two; and backpacks, shoes and uniforms amounted to RD$7400. The total investment to get the kids ready: RD$33,875. Add to this RD$1500 a month for the seat on the school bus and RD$5000 for tuition.
Another, reasonably affluent woman told the reporter that her family has to pay US$4000 (RD$138,000) for her son to attend school. This is RD$13,800 per month for the ten-month school year.
Lower middle class families pay fees that are in line with their incomes. For example, the reporters interviewed the family of Gloria Mella that has three children in a school near their house. They paid RD$400 each for registration and the books and supplies were RD$12,000 this year. Most parents complain about having to buy new books each year, because the practice sheets for many classes (arithmetic, geometry etc) are included in the textbook, making their reuse impossible. Another complaint is the obligatory use of the school uniform that can only be purchased in specified stores or at the school itself.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
One mother "cried to the heavens" when she realized the cost of sending her two children to school. Registration fees were RD$7500 each; required textbooks and supplies were RD$15,000 for the two; and backpacks, shoes and uniforms amounted to RD$7400. The total investment to get the kids ready: RD$33,875. Add to this RD$1500 a month for the seat on the school bus and RD$5000 for tuition.
Another, reasonably affluent woman told the reporter that her family has to pay US$4000 (RD$138,000) for her son to attend school. This is RD$13,800 per month for the ten-month school year.
Lower middle class families pay fees that are in line with their incomes. For example, the reporters interviewed the family of Gloria Mella that has three children in a school near their house. They paid RD$400 each for registration and the books and supplies were RD$12,000 this year. Most parents complain about having to buy new books each year, because the practice sheets for many classes (arithmetic, geometry etc) are included in the textbook, making their reuse impossible. Another complaint is the obligatory use of the school uniform that can only be purchased in specified stores or at the school itself.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)