Marguerite B. Clérie and Anio Pierre
Port-au-Prince, March 19, 2026.- The multidimensional crisis that shakes Haiti seriously weakens the education system, largely dependent on families and the private sector. According to Marguerite B. Clérié and Anio Pierre in an interview given to Magik9 on Wednesday 18 March, the impoverishment of households, insecurity and lack of public support plunge schools and universities into a critical situation, marked by a massive drop in staff and closures.
The situation is alarming. The Haitian education system, dominated by more than 80 per cent by the private sector, is based mainly on the ability of families to pay school fees. However, in a context of acute economic and social crisis, many parents are no longer able to bear these costs, resulting in a drastic drop in school attendance, estimated at up to 70% in some institutions.
This structural fragility adds to the persistent insecurity. Schools are forced to close, sometimes looted or occupied by armed groups, while forced displacements of populations further disorganize access to education. « Each month without a solution increases losses that may become irreversible »alert the sector leaders.
Another critical point is the near total absence of public subsidies. Although a pillar of the education system, private schools do not receive any significant support from the State, which is considered to be dysfunctional in this area. This situation increases the vulnerability of the system and exposes a deep structural imbalance.
In the face of this crisis, Marguerite B. Clérié and Anio Pierre plead for urgent reform of the financing of education, including direct support for schools and support mechanisms for families. Without rapid intervention, they warn, the collapse of the education system could permanently undermine the country's future and exacerbate insecurity.
W.A.
