For persons age 3 and over

37. What is the highest level of school [the respondent] has attended: Preschool, primary/basic, secondary/high school, university?

Question 37. What is the highest level of school [the respondent] has attended: preschool, primary/basic, secondary/high school, university?
The level of education refers to, "each stage of the educational system that is determined by the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of students as well as their social needs" (Art. 31, Section (a), of the Law of General Education 66-97, of the Dominican Republic). This question is aimed inasmuch as people who currently attend an academic institution as those who attended in the past.

Chart 1 shows the structure of the education system in the Dominican Republic, exhibiting the years of study, according to the level:
Preschool or Early Childhood Learning- Three years long

• Early Childhood Learning is the first level of education and occurs before Basic or Primary Education is set up with the family and community. It targets the population of infants and young children 5 years of age or less. The final year is obligatory for children who are 5 years old.

Primary or Basic Level if Education- Eight years long

• The first set, that lasts 4 years, includes grades 1st through 4th. This level usually begins when the child is 6 years old, and never younger than 5 years old.
• The second set, lasts four years and includes 5th through 8th grade.

Secondary or High School- Four years long

• The first set of grades in Secondary school is the same for all students.
• The second set of Secondary or preparatory set is made up of three areas: General, Technical/Professional, and the Arts, in which students who complete it, will receive a diploma or degree in the area studied.

College or University- Approximately five years long

• Universities consist of departments offering majors or "careers" that generally take between 3 and 5 years to complete depending on the specific course of study. The exception is medicine, which can take up to 7 years to complete.
• In order to record the year in school as given by the informant, be aware that: 2 semesters equal one year, 3 trimesters equal one year, and 4 quarters are equivalent to one year.

Postgraduate Studies- Approximately five years long

• This level of studies corresponds to the specific degree obtained by the student during their university studies, and the degree levels are called Master's, or Doctorate. Typically, a Master's degree takes about 2 years to complete, and the Doctorate is the next degree level obtained immediately following the Master's and generally takes 2 more years to complete.