Education
Access to quality education remains a key obstacle to Haiti’s social and economic development. Surveys indicate that approximately 35 percent of Haitian youth are unable to read and that the average Haitian child spends less than four years in school. These statistics show that a generation of Haitian youth is at risk for not having the necessary knowledge and basic skills to succeed in the labor force.
Most schools in Haiti have minimal government support, lack of qualified instructors, and are relatively expensive. More than 80 percent of primary schools are privately managed by nongovernmental organizations, churches, communities, and for-profit operators, with minimal government oversight. Approximately 75 percent of teachers in Haiti lack adequate credentials.
For low-income families, annual school expenses account for about 40 percent of parents’ income and can represent a significant financial burden.
The Education Task force is working hard to provide teacher training and workshops for our teachers at the Jesus Home for Children of La Gonave. We are working on training the teachers in many areas including types of evaluation, lesson planning, using manipulatives in the classroom and teaching to different learning styles, just to name a few.
We would also love to provide the upper primary classes with better desks, tables and benches so that the students have more room to do their work.
Education is a huge priority to Mme Soliette. She knows that her kids need a quality education which is often hard to find in Haiti. Currently, education attributes to 19.2% of the monthly budget.
During the school year Mme. Soliette hires teaches to come to the Children's Village each day where their own private school is held. There are 9 teachers curently on payroll covering preschool through 6th grade.
Students who pass their 6th grade exams are then eligable for secondary school where students are sent to another private school in town for further education. As more and more children reach the secondary school grade levels, Mme Soliette will need to decide if it is better to continue to outsource the secondary education or develop her own secondary school within the Children's Village.
