Santo Domingo School Scrawl: The Best Public and Private Schools for My Spray Can and Sketchbook
yo. sky’s sweating buckets today like a broken AC unit. perfect weather for tagging walls in between school tours. if the humidity doesn’t kill your motivation, the cops might. pro-tip: avoid *malecón after dark with spray cans unless you want a free art lesson in jail. puerto plata’s just a 45-minute flight if you need mountains instead of sweat puddles outside the classroom.
Zona Colonial schools look postcard-perfect until you see the tuition bills. heard overheard near a coffee stall that instituto san bosco charges $12k/year but gives you free anxiety with it. a local dealer warned me: “their security guards will confiscate your markers faster than your phone.” still, the historic walls make for great after-school sketching spots if you can dodge the tour groups.
Gurabo’s public schools? dumpster fire territory. minerd data shows teacher shortages so bad that physics class often becomes nap time. rent here’s dirt cheap ($300/month for a crumbling studio), but the job market’s a ghost town unless you’re into tourism or selling counterfeit sunglasses. one teacher at liceo francois duvalier confessed over rum: “we teach with broken windows. students learn resilience, I guess.”
Malecón private academies are where rich kids go to get yacht licenses instead of diplomas. colegio dominico-frances? overheard gossip: “their cafeteria serves organic kale while teachers beg for bus fare.” tuition’s $8k/year but hey, at least they have AC. the nearby parque Independencia has cracked sidewalks perfect for chalk murals if you can outrun the cops.
real talk: dominican republic’s unemployment’s 6.2% but good luck finding a gig as an artist unless you’re painting beach resorts. safety data’s grim - pickpockets swarm el conde like flies. but hey, if you survive the muggers, you’ve got street cred.
tripadvisor’s santo domingo education section will lie to your face about safety. yelp’s private school reviews read like paid ads. for real dirt, hit r/dominicanrepublic where parents complain about mold cafeterias and missing textbooks. ministerio de educación’s website? good luck navigating that digital labyrinth.
drunk advice from a bartender at la trinitaria*: “avoid public schools unless you want your kid to learn how to hotwire motorcycles. private schools? bring your own toilet paper and pray the generator doesn’t die during exams.” true story. my backup plan’s homeschooling with walls as my chalkboard.
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