710875b7-9bad-41a6-ad60-ab769487726bSchools in Haiti started September 7.  There is nothing as uplifting as seeing Haitian children of all ages going to school, impeccably dressed in their clean and pressed uniforms, girls’ hair decorated with multiple colored ribbons and barrettes, and backpacks on their shoulders. In rural areas, children may go to school on donkeys or trod worn paths through Haitian mountains. Those living in cities and towns may ride along on a motorbike or walk with friends.  90 percent of Haitian children currently attend private schools, with schools adhering to different standards and varying quality.

Thanks to you, HMP donors, all of the children in the HMP Feeding and Education Program have scholarships so they attend one of dozens of private schools in Mirebalais.  Thanks to you, children in the SAES home attend the nearby Ecole St. Pierre. In Haiti, where only one in three students finishes sixth grade, your support provides the necessary educational funds for all children in the program to attend school until graduation.

Children and their parents take education very seriously and parents make great sacrifices to send their children to school.  Many of the poor have paid one and one-half times their salaries to send their children to school.

Public education for all children is seen as a responsibility of the government.  New this year, five years after the earthquake, 1.4 million children have access to free and universal education, subsidized by a Haitian government program.

b9c95b23-1ded-461f-a406-8d04e6593a82For the first time nearly 400,000 students in the 4th year fundamental (AF) took the mandatory national exam at the end of last school year.   Skills in mathematics, French, and Creole were administered.  The new Minister of Education, Nesmy Manigat, believes this evaluation is a report card on how teaching and learning of the fundamental subjects are progressing, and a guidepost for training teachers. In a country where cell phones can be more accessible than water, high school students are able to access final exam results in an app the ministry developed.

The statistics are still daunting, and the quality of education each child receives is a significant concern. You make possible educational benefits for all children in Haiti Micah Project. Your commitment to the children allows them to receive the best of what is available in Haiti. You play a critical role that enables each child to have a brighter future.

References: Miami Herald 9/4/2015, Haiti Libre 7/6/2015

Translate »