Antoine Augustin, the Minister of National Education, accompanied by Jean Wilnor Pierre, General Coordinator of the 10 Departmental Directorates of Education, Louisseul Étienne France, Departmental Director of Education for the West, and Serge Collin, Technical Advisor to the General Directorate of the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES), took stock this week during a press conference on the first 30 days of the 2024-2025 school year

The issue of distributing school kits and furniture for the start of the school year, of Cash-transfer aimed at supporting 261,000 parents or guardians of students, of the fourteenth month's salary granted to civil servants, in particular to the 47,000 employees in the education sector, was discussed.

Distribution of school kits :

Concerning the first point, Minister Augustin Antoine indicated that out of 127,000 school kits from a contract awarded by the previous administration, 61,000 were distributed in 152 public and private schools established in the West department, more precisely in the metropolitan region of Port-au-Prince. The operation will continue according to the remaining stock for the other departments :

Distribution of school furniture : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43455-haiti-education-13-000-brand-new-school-benches-for-the-2024-2025-school-year-video.html

Subsidy to parents :

Serge Collin said that out of the 233,802 beneficiaries selected after analysis of data available in the Ministry's Education Information and Management System (SIGE), 185,219 beneficiaries have already received the 20,000 Gourdes of subsidy via MonCash or NatCash. Data processing will continue until all targeted persons are reached.

School Operations :

Since October 1st, schools have gradually resumed normal operations in eight of the country's ten Departmental Directorates of Education. In the West Department, more precisely in the metropolitan region of Port-au-Prince, there have been difficulties in relocating certain public schools. According to information provided by the Departmental Director of Education of the West, 48 of the 49 national schools in the capital and neighboring municipalities are operating normally. The exception is a national school, established in the vicinity of the General Hospital, which has not regained its staff.

As for high schools in Port-au-Prince, 8 out of 9 are operating normally, except for the Toussaint Louverture high school, which will resume its classes next week in another location, assured Etienne Louisseul France.

Outside the metropolitan area of ​​Port-au-Prince, there is the situation of violence that recently forced 138 private and public schools in the Cabaret school district and 220 private and public schools in the Arcahaie school district to close their doors.

In the Artibonite Department, the situation remains complicated in Liancourt, Pont-Sondé, Petite-Rivière and in the city center of L'Estère, reported, for his part, the Coordinator of the Departmental Directorates of Education due to the violence of armed groups. In the other districts of this department, schools welcome students and teachers every day, confirmed Jean Wilnor Pierre.

In the other departments, namely the North, North-East, North-West, Center, Nippes, South, South-East and Grand-Anse, the teaching and learning process is taking place without difficulty.

14th month of salary :

Minister Antoine thanked the Government for deciding to grant a 14th month of salary to civil servants on the occasion of the start of the school year. He remains convinced that this has been a significant support to the beneficiaries.

HL/ HaitiLibre