Port-au-Prince, October 26 (Prensa Latina) Haitian teachers today called for education for all, criticizing the fact that, two months after the start of the course, thousands of children still do not have access to education due to violence.
The National Union of Normalists and Educators of Haiti (Unnoeh) deplored the Ministry of Education’s inaction while refugee children occupy secondary schools and schools after fleeing their homes and missing days of classes.
The Equality Coordinator of Unnoeh, Angeline Cherfils, regretted that this situation violates the right to education of children in the greater area of this capital.
All this is happening while education authorities continue their propaganda and slogans such as “School cannot wait”. “We must force them and the government in general to take urgent measures to ensure the right to education of all children in the country without exception,” he said.
The teachers’ union also denounced the Ministry of Education’s alleged indifference to teachers’ demands two years ago.
The general coordinator of Unnoeh, Kensone Delice, warned that the authorities would have to wait for a response from teachers in this situation and warned that they should expect mobilizations in the coming weeks.
The transformation of the Haitian education system must inevitably also entail a transformation of the working conditions of teachers, he emphasized.
Teachers are demanding a salary adjustment that will enable them to withstand rampant inflation of over 30 percent.
Last April, teachers went on strike to demand better working conditions, salary adjustments, late fee payments and the appointment of teachers who give classes without being recognized as such.
Meanwhile, students in several provincial cities mobilized to demand teachers in classrooms and demand that education authorities fulfill their responsibilities and resolve the conflict with teachers.
lam/ane