 The standard post-quake classroom |
July 1, 2010
It is remarkable how little time schools in Haiti lost despite the earthquake. While it would have been understandable and even expected for the catastrophe to derail the entire academic year, schools resumed session only weeks after the disaster. Teacher, directors, the Ministry of Education, students, and families stayed strong and got back on track. Now, using only a few weeks of summer as extra sessions, schools are wrapping up a complete year despite January’s shattering interruption.
In the Southern Department, primary school students in the cities of Les Cayes and Aquin finished their year on time. First through fifth graders completed their required curriculum and tested out last week. Today marks the second day of testing for all 6th graders on the National Exam, performance on which determines if a student passes on to secondary school. In other departments, including Port-au-Prince, official State exams will be held in late July and early August.
 The rubble at Pelagie Primary School |
 Testing is in full swing at Hope for Haiti schools all over the south |
 5th grade students at Pelagie Primary School |
 High school students testing at St. Thomas Secondary, which accepted over 100 displaced students from Port au Prince for the second half of the year |
Hope for Haiti is continuing to work beyond the prescribed school calendar with our program partners, making sure that they and their teachers are supported until the very end. One school in particular that exemplifies such resilience is Pelagie Primary School, in the mountains of southeast Haiti. With their main building destroyed, Pelagie’s nine classes (Pre-K to 6th grade) are continuing under tents like the one shown here. Even as the rainy season sets in, Pelagie’s 250 students continue walking to class, studying, and learning so as to not repeat a year. While the quake seemed to take away so many vital things, in Hope for Haiti supported schools, Education was not one of them.