In recent months, some schools, notably in the Artibonite department and in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, have closed for fear of being trapped by the violence of armed groups. Numerous temporary closures of establishments were also noted due to movements associated with certain demonstrations. Other establishments are closed to sometimes serve as temporary shelters for displaced families. The number of displaced people reached approximately 314,000 in January 2024.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is supporting the Government to improve the resilience of the education sector in the face of these repetitive shocks. In 2023, safe spaces for children were put in place in schools to ensure the continuity of learning, in particular through the rehabilitation of 276 classrooms, the distribution of educational materials, and awareness-raising about security at school and the supply of textbooks. The UN Organization supports the Government of Haiti in finalizing the Code of Conduct for harmonious cohabitation in Haitian schools as well as the training of 120 journalists, teachers and U-reporters on the same code of conduct.

To improve quality, nearly 72,000 school kits were distributed in Gonaïves, the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and the Great South, ensuring that children in these regions have the necessary supplies to start school. UNICEF also supported the distribution of nearly 24,000 unique books in Creole in five departments (North, North-West, North-East, Center and Artibonite). 450 teachers also received psychosocial support and acquired knowledge enabling them to deal with students in trauma situations.

Through the Ministry of National Education, UNICEF supported 2,400 teachers in the departments of South, Nippes and Artibonite, as well as displaced and vulnerable families, through a national cash transfer program , in order to promote access to education. Along the same lines, nearly 4,500 children were also supported in the South and Artlbonite.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) continues to provide support to the Haitian State via the Ministry of National Education in the seismic and anticyclonic reconstruction of around a hundred of schools in Grand-Anse, South, North and Artibonite, as part of the implementation of the "project adaptation to climate change and reduction of disaster risks in school infrastructures".

UNESCO also continues its support for the ongoing curriculum reform, which occupies a central place in the transformation of education and in the preparation of tomorrow's citizens. Efforts are also being made by the UN Organization to strengthen capacities in the mobilization and analysis of data and information on the education system.

HL/ HaitiLibre