Chapter 6 Situation of Education in Haiti: Context Post-Earthquake
6.1. Haiti: Overall Dynamism in the Context Post-Earthquake
6.2.3. Assessment of “Quality Environment”
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education system although these updates were not evaluated as sufficient. So they think that quality of schools materials is slightly better in the actual context.
2. Practicality of curricula applied (adaptation to the needs of the labor market)
The respondents almost unanimously (91%) observed that there is no difference at all in the curricula before and after January 2010.
When it comes to assess the practicality of the curricula in terms of its adaptation to the needs of the labor market, the respondents think that the programs and curricula used are not adapted to the country’s reality. This means that dissemination of knowledge, the contents of the courses taught do not respond to the specific needs in the economy in terms of knowledge.
About 73% think in this particular aspect the situation is the same before and after the earthquake, and 18% think it worse given the fact that the system uses the same curricula while the needs are even more complex in the context post-earthquake.
As for the “quality of tools” used in the education system, no real improvement has been observed in the context post-earthquake. Overall, the situation is similar in both periods with only a slight update in the schools materials made available to students.
6.2.3. Assessment of “Quality Environment”
The evaluation of “quality environment” takes into account two different aspects: the physical environment and the regulation of the system.
- Physical environment
For the physical environment the following elements were evaluated:
1. Number of classrooms in the system: About 64% of our interviewees say that the
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number of classrooms available is much less after January 2010. They argue that many schools destroyed during the earthquake of 2010 were not yet rebuilt. They further mention that those infrastructures were replaced by temporary facilities since 2010 but the systematic reconstruction is still on hold.
2. Quality of classrooms: When it comes to compare the quality of classrooms available, 72% respondents say that actual classrooms are either of lower or about same quality as many school still operate with the same temporary infrastructure built right after the earthquake.
3. Construction standards for school infrastructures: According to our interviewees, progress was made in what concerns construction standards for school infrastructures. About 55% think that these norms are slightly better while 36% say the norms are about the same before and after January 2010. However, the application of the norms instituted is mentioned as an issue to be considered by the control authority. Indeed, schools are still lack of resources to support the costs that are required for the construction of modern infrastructures with high standards. So, this issues point out the need to elaborate different methods to build and finance schools infrastructures in the system.
4. Proportion of accredited schools: School accreditation is still an issue for the sector.
45% of interviewees mention the fact that too many schools are not accredited so the MENFP has no real control over the quality of the contents taught. The situation on this matter is similar before and after January 2010. However, 36% of them assert that many schools were accredited after 2010, so they think that the actual situation is slightly better nowadays.
5. Proportion of public versus private schools: In terms of proportions public versus private schools, no major improvements were27 observed in the context post-earthquake. The
27 Appendix 1: Public/private education by number of students
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36% of the interviewees confirm this trend while 45% respondents think the tendency might be slightly better since there is no significant increase in quantity of private schools.6. Population’s overall access to the education system: Overall, the population has better access to school in the context post-earthquake. In fact, 73% of the interviewees confirm this change and explain that it is due mainly to the program “Education For All (EFA)” that has been instituted since 2006 and reinforced after January 2010 particularly through the Program of free universal education and Compulsory (PSUGO). The PSUGO has contributed to increase the quantity of students enrolled to primary schools after January 2010, this is a trend confirmed by 72% of interviewees; also improvement was observed in what regard number of children at school age actually left out of the system. About 18% say that the situation has not changed but 55% of respondents confirm the positive change toward higher enrollment rate for students of all ages.
However, the respondents further argue that there is not concrete improvement in regards to policies that aim to support early childhood. 45% interviewees say that in this matter the situation is similar before and after 2010; 27% say that it becomes worse.
7. Dropout in the system: Although the interviewees overall agree on the fact that there is better access to the system, 64% respondents from this group confirm that dropouts has also increased in the context post-earthquake while 36% say that the situation is about the same.
8. Issue about the proximity of schools infrastructures: Despite the increase in the access to the system that results mainly from the reinforcement of the EFA, the issue on the proximity of schools infrastructures remains a key factor to fully open the access to all to the school system. Indeed, according to 60% participants to the interviews, this question has not
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yet been addressed in a systematic way and as of now the situation is about the same before and after 2010 particularly for the populations living in the remote areas.
9. Success rate at the Haitian baccalaureate: The Haitian baccalaureate is generally completed with very low success rate. According to 73% of the responses collected from our interviewees, this situation after January 2010 is not better while 27% say that it becomes worse in the recent years as the system continue to record success rates that often are under 50%. For instance, success rates countrywide were respectively for 2011, 2009 and 2008:
37.08%, 17.4% and 62%. Table 3 and Figure 3 show the success rate for the baccalaureate 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 by region.
Table 3: Success rate in the Haitian baccalaureate 2012 and 2013 2013/2012 2011/2012
Ouest 36.59 32.56
Nord 54.9
Nord'est 46.89
Nord'ouest 42.68
Centre 41.58
Artibonite 28.5
Sud 45.24
Sud'est 55.42
Grand'anse 36.58 44.84
Nippes 68.81
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Figure 3: Success rate in the Haitian baccalaureate 2012 and 2013 – results by region Source : MENFP Haiti
10. Class days completed in the school year calendar: Among many other factors that considered explaining low rate of success in the Haitian baccalaureate, the personalities interviewed mentioned the limited number of school days completed that is characteristic of the education system. About 82% of respondents mention the fact that Haitian students do not have enough school days before and after January 2010, while 18% affirm that numbers of school days are often less after January 2010 and this is mainly due to sociopolitical instability in the country. Indeed, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has conducted a comparative study (UNESCO) on the organization of school year within different countries, the study revealed that Haiti is one of the very few country to record less than 180 days of school a year, a number which is far below the 200 days recommended by UNESCO. An article published in May 27, 2008 in the journal “LE NOUVELLISTE” by Adner Estelot revealed that school days vary in between 140 to 150 per year (Estelot, 2008). Such numbers are far below the 200 days targeted by the MENFP.
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11. Average annual cost supported by Haitian parents: Other issues that were addressed through the interviews are related to the costs of education supported by the Haitian parents.
Although public investments in the sector that aim to reduce education cost particularly through the program EFA, the reality is that education costs at all levels remain a burden that is mostly supported by the families. This situation is particularly true in the private education system which represents more than 90% of the education supply in the country. According to 72% of our interviewees, parents continue to pay schools fees that are much higher in the recent years. In such cases, opening access to quality education to all is far to be achievable in Haiti, a country where unemployment and low wages rule everyday life. An article about education in Haiti released online in February 10, 2014 by the USAID revealed that for low-income families, annual school expenses account for about 40 percent of parents’ income (USAID, 2014). This represents an obstacle for the dispensation and the access to quality education in the country and it is one major concern to be addressed in the national budget.
12. Proportion of the national budget allocated to education: Historically the percentage of Haiti’s national budget allocated to education is very low. The highest peak in share for education in the budget was observed at the end of the 80s and beginning 90s. It was about 19% in 1987-88 and 22% in 1994-95; this value declined from 17% to 10% between 2001 and 2010 (WISE-QUATAR, 2011). The portion of the budget dedicated to education has slightly improved after 2010. It represents a mere 12.8% of the budget 2013-2014, which is about US$36.7million (16.1 billion Haitian gourdes) down from US$44 million (19.3 billion Haitian gourdes) last year. This trend has been confirmed by 40% of our interviewees which consider that overall the portion of budget allocated to education is similar or lower compared to the historical context of this sector. However, 60% of the respondents refer to the context before earthquake to affirm that education is better off in the current situation.
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- Regulation of the system
The following factors were reviewed in our attempt to assess the regulation of the system:
1. MENFP’s ability to control or regulate the education system: In terms of regulation the MENFP has never been capable of ensuring its leadership over the system. This situation has endured before January 2010 and it persists even in the period post-earthquake, as many actors in the sector continue to observe. To that concern, about 81% of our interviewees mentioned that the MENFP’s ability to control the education sector has become worse after the earthquake in the country. They point out the fact that with the disaster many organizations came into the country to help but due to the lack of public policies and state’s leadership in the sector, they applied their own agendas which do not integrate a national plan for education.
2. Presence of the MENFP in the remote areas of the country: The presence of the MENFP in the different regions of the country is an important step toward improving the ability to regulate the system. However, the feedbacks received from our respondents describe a situation of total absence of the MENFP’s representation in many regions. This situation is about the same before and after January 2010 as it is mentioned by 91% of the interviewees.
Overall, quality of schools’ environment both in terms of infrastructures and regulation of the system is evaluated similarly low before and after January 2010, according to the personalities interviewed. The rating is not better for other factors like “quality teacher” and “quality tools”
used in the education system. This situation traduces the lack of quality of the education in the country. In this regard, several propositions to address this issue are explored in the next section of this document.
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