Port-au-Prince, 18.08.- A little over two weeks before the school year resumes in Haiti, today there are uncertainties with the school year, in the midst of a severe and economic crisis, in addition to the rising prices of basic products.
- The Ministry of Education reiterated that classes are scheduled to reopen on September 5 in all departments across the country and must have a single textbook for basic grades.
In the south, however, which was hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake last year, most of the more than 1,000 schools destroyed or damaged have not been rehabilitated, confirmed the sector’s head, Nesmy Manigat.
The pupils of the departments of Nippes, Sur and Grand Anse can count on around 15 new schools, while another 75 are to be restored in the short and medium term.
The United Nations Children’s Fund warned Wednesday that more than 250,000 children are out of school a year after the quake, and the prevailing insecurity and lack of funding are hampering recovery.
For its part, the Citizens for a New Haiti (OCNH) organization questioned a reopening of classes amid the ongoing national crisis, exacerbated by fuel shortages that tripled public transport prices.
The cost of books and other school supplies also rose as the national currency depreciated against the dollar, which has lost more than 30 percent of its value so far this year.
Faced with this scenario, several human rights organizations are calling for the government to protect children’s right to a decent education.
The OCNH also encouraged authorities to reach a comprehensive political settlement that would pave the way for the nation’s rebuilding.
(LP)
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