El año académico se inicia en Haití con varias escuelas cerradas debido a la violencia

Port-au-Prince.– The academic year in Haiti kicked off this Tuesday in a patchy manner, with some schools remaining closed and others serving as camps for the displaced amidst violence, particularly in Port-au-Prince, without special measures in place to ensure student safety.

In the metropolitan area of the capital, the start of the 2024-2025 academic year was tentative and uneven—while in some streets and neighborhoods children could be seen wearing their uniforms, in other areas dozens of schools remain non-operational after being converted into accommodation, under inhumane conditions, for those forced to flee their homes due to violence.

Many residents of Port-au-Prince have moved to safer parts of the country, where, as recently highlighted by Save The Children, some schools this year will be overcrowded.

In Haiti, according to UN data, around 700,000 people have been displaced due to violence, with more than half of them estimated to be children. Educational Challenges

The Transitional Presidential Council acknowledged in a statement “the challenges faced by the education system” and reiterated its commitment to “strengthen school infrastructure and improve learning conditions” in educational centers, making efforts to “ensure all children access to quality education, in a safe and conducive learning environment.”

Some of the measures announced by the Government for this year’s back-to-school campaign, under the slogan ‘Restoring the Authority of the School,’ include financial support of 15,000 to 20,000 gourdes (about 110 to 150 dollars) for 280,000 student parents, distribution of textbooks, provision of school kits, uniforms and flags, or enhancement and expansion of the school meals program nationwide.

At the start of the school year, while traffic in the capital increased slightly, the congestion caused by public and private school transport seen on other occasions was not present.

Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille attended Lycée des Jeunes Filles, in Chemin des Dalles (Centre-Ville, Port-au-Prince), where he was welcomed by three students in their uniforms.

There, in addition to outlining the educational efforts undertaken, he expressed his concern for the students whose schools have become displaced persons camps.

“My special thoughts go to the children who cannot return to school at the start of this term because they are held hostage by criminal groups. I want to take this opportunity to tell those children and their parents that the Government I lead sympathizes with their situation and promises to implement all necessary measures to create the material and environmental conditions that allow them to access education. There should be no disparity in education,” he emphasized.

The start of the school term in Haiti occurs in a context of extreme insecurity, marked by armed attacks, kidnappings, gang rapes, and clashes between the police and gangs.

The 2023-2024 academic year was severely disrupted in February when armed gangs went on the offensive, plunging the Port-au-Prince region into chaos, resulting in students losing about three months of classes.

Since at least 2018, students have lost hundreds of teaching hours each year, significantly impacting their academic performance.

creditos de las imagenes de este post: Robertocavada.com