Thursday, as part of a series of lunch-debates organized by the Franco-Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CFHCI) Nesmy Manigat, the Minister of Education delivered a lecture on the theme "Reform of education, issues and challenges" in the presence of the Ambassador of France accredited to Haiti, Patrick Nicoloso, members of the private sector educations and business, civil society, executives of the ministry and representatives of teachers' unions.

Presenting the classic pattern of the current educational system with all the problems constituting blocking factors for any modernization process, the Minister stressed the urgency of the sector reform "If we want to achieve a competitive and modern Haiti [...] The results of the Haitian school today must challenge everyone [...] There is an educational emergency in the country [...] It's a collective effort. The state can not act alone," adding that the competitiveness of enterprises requires training of skilled labor.

Inviting the private business sector to become more involved in the actions underway for the reform of the education sector, the Minister Manigat outlined three levels of intervention by which the state calls for cooperation with the business world :

• He expressed a desire for greater involvement of economic actors in the National Commission for the Reform of Curriculum in the redefinition of technical and vocational training, redefining new occupations of the future and the development of a framework to support the higher Education ;

• The private business sector as a service provider, will have much to gain in the construction and furnishing of schools, according to the standards set by the Ministry of Education ;

• It also calls for social responsibility. This requires funding or public private co-financing of the vocational and university training.

After this conference, acclaimed, Gregory Brandt, President of the CFHCI, said he was convinced that it is the duty of the private sector to provide future generations the ability to meet their needs through quality education "Despite the difficult economic environment and scarce budgetary resources, the high dependence on donors, the education system must be measured and assessed in terms of the rights of future generations and have a human capital consistent with the requirements of tomorrow," adding that "The education system must stop producing unemployed but rather technicians according to the needs of companies," saying also in favor to a better coordination of little money already invested by the business sector in the Haitian education world through some foundations and other charitable structures.

HL/ PI/ HaitiLibre