Haiti - Social : Back to School on October 3, teachers' strike on October 4 ?
The new school year promises to be stormy at the level of teachers. The free education program does not make the unanimity among parents whose children are not on the list... Already on Monday, dozens of parents, members of the Coordination of Peasant Organizations for the Development of the South of Haiti (COPDSH) had accused the Departmental Directorate of Education, to pursue a policy of exclusion in the recruitment of children and teachers in the program of free education of President Michel Martelly. Accusation denied by Régil’homme Joseph, the Departmental Director of Education requiring to the parents to be patient, noting that the program aims to reach progressively approximately 24,000 children throughout the Southern Department.
Yesterday was the turn of teachers and supporters of the National Union of Haitian Normaliens (UNNOH) to demonstrate in the streets of Port-au-Prince, to ask that the Head of State, publishes the law on the regulation of school fees, voted in 2009 but not yet published in the official newspaper "Le Moniteur". The demonstrators, armed with placards, had words hostile against the Head of State, questioning its program of free education for thousands of children.
The Association of Teachers of municipal schools of Port-au-Prince (ASIEMP) announced an indefinite strike from October 4, if the authorities of the Municipality of Port-au-Prince does not pay to teachers their five months salary arrears... eachers announce sit-in outside the Central Bank to demand the payment of amounts due to the Town Hall of Port-au-Prince.
