Education

Par Jean Élie Paul, Radio Television Caribes June 6th, 2013 Un bâtiment fissuré, devenu aussi poreux qu’une vulgaire bâche malmenée par le soleil et des équipements détruits par la pluie : c’est la situation de l’Université du Roi Henry Christophe de Limonade (Urcl), faisant partie de l’université d’État d’Haïti (Ueh), observe l’agence en ligne AlterPresse. Cette structure, « don » controversé de la République Dominicaine à Haïti, a été construite en moins de six mois. Sur une superficie de 60 hectares de terre, le campus Roi Henri Christophe peut accueillir jusqu’à 10,000 étudiantes et étudiants, dans ses 4 bâtiments abritant 72 salles. Lors de son inauguration, le 12 janvier 2012 (2 ans après le tremblement de terre), le campus avait suscité ébahissement et admiration. En 2013, les sentiments paraissent tout autres. « Immeubles fissurés un peu partout » Nous sommes dans le bureau du secrétaire […]

Travis Ross, rabble.ca April 9, 2013 Montreal — Haiti Grassroots Watch (HGW) has just completed a two month investigation of the state of the education system in Haiti. The investigation has revealed that the “Program for Universal Free and Obligatory Education” (Programme de scolarisation universelle gratuite et obligatoire — PSUGO) has encountered major problems; including allegations of fraud, mismanagement, and corruption. Michel Martelly made education one of the four top priorities of his mandate in his 2010-11 run for the presidency of Haiti. The two-round election was fraught with interference from foreign governments. Many political parties, most notably Fanmi Lavalas, were blocked from participating. Upon assuming office in May 2011, President Martelly announced the creation of the National Fund for Education (Fonds national pour l’éducation–FNE). The FNE would fund PSUGO and guarantee classroom seats for 1.5 million Haitian children. An education system in […]

Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Conference Call Part II  – October 13, 2011 On October 13th, the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) hosted Part Two of a series of conference calls detailing the process and importance behind Haiti’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in which the UN Human Rights Council was able to evaluate Haiti’s compliance with human rights obligations and make recommendations for further improvements. The elaborate UPR process was initiated in 2006 by the UN Human Rights Council for each of the member states of the United Nations. The procedure calls for every member state to be reviewed every four years regarding the nation’s compliance with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent human rights documents to which they are signatories. Haiti was the last country to be reviewed. It was scheduled for review in […]

Today, Brian Concannon reflects upon the September 11th tragedies that shocked the entire world just 10 years ago. Brian was in Port-au-Prince when the incidents occurred, and recalls that it was hard for him to be away from his family and friends in the U.S. However, “It was also a blessing.” Brian remembers how all his Haitian friends stopped by and asked whether his family and friends were safe, even strangers offered condolences to him. Americans have the same capacity to transform this traumatic experience into empathy for understanding the difficult situations other countries are undergoing, just as Haitians showed him ten years ago. Listen to Brian share his reflection on 9/11 and what we can do to help Haiti. To listen to Brian’s Podcast, click here. To lis­ten to more “Mes­sages from Haiti,” click here. Brian is the Founder and […]

By: Jesse Hagopian, Common Dreams Two Days before the earthquake, my one-year-old son and I accompanied my wife to Haiti for an HIV training course she was to conduct. Two days after surviving the quake, we drove into the center of Port-au-Prince from the Pétionville district, where we had been staying, and passed a school that had completely collapsed. I remember successfully convincing myself as we drove by that not one student or teacher was struck by the chunks of drab-gray cinderblock that lay scattered in the courtyard. As a Seattle Public Schools teacher myself, I could not allow the image of being trapped with my students under the debris of the school to enter my thoughts, and I managed to become certain that no one had been in the building when it collapsed. After spending the prior two days […]

By Leon Neyfakh, The Boston Globe July 24, 2011 When Michel DeGraff was a young boy in Haiti, his older brother brought home a notice from school reminding students and parents of certain classroom rules. At the top of the list was “no weapons.” And right below it, DeGraff still remembers: “No Creole.” Students were supposed to use French, and French only. It was like this all over the country, and still is. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Haitian children grow up hearing and speaking exclusively Haitian Creole–the language used in their villages and homes, in their music, and in their proverbs, jokes, and jingles–the minute they start school they are forced to start all over in a language they don’t know. French is the language of Haiti’s tiny ruling class, and for children who come from […]