HAITI: Reopening of schools, but many disappointed students are turned away by their teachers because their schools were not ready to provide classes

Record ID: 735969

  • Title: HAITI: Reopening of schools, but many disappointed students are turned away by their teachers because their schools were not ready to provide classes
  • Date: 6th April 2010
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING; UNITED STATES MARINES WATCHING THEM
  • Embargoed: 21st April 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Haiti
  • Country: Haiti
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Education
  • Reuters ID: LVAE0X3KN7Y8R74NU602PTKWQCXT
  • Story Text: Schools were scheduled to reopen on Monday (April 05) across Haiti's capital for the first time since a devastating earthquake hit nearly three months ago, but many of them were not ready in time.
    At the Lycee Marie-Jeanne public school in Port-au-Prince, students turned up with freshly-pressed uniforms and buffed shoes only to be turned away by their principal.
    Damage to the school's buildings from the January 12 quake has not been repaired.
    Students said they were disappointed.
    "When we hear the education minister announcing that classes would start again we were really happy, because the only way we are going to make a life for ourselves is through education," student Stephanie Raphael told Reuters.
    What was set to be a large step towards normalcy has now drawn criticism from students, teachers and parents because only a few hundred schools of thousands were expected to open this week.
    "It was a lot of high-minded rhetoric for the government to announce that the schools were opening without making any of the necessary preparations to receive the students," said Josue Merilien, coordinator of the teachers' union UNNOH.
    The education ministry said the return-to-school effort is slowly progressing.
    Eventually the Haitian government even wants to provide hot meals to all public school students.
    "There have been international donations and all organisms are working to distribute school aid. The state is going to provide a plate of hot food each day for each student and slowly other things will be contributed as well," said Education Ministry department director, Esperance Ivalan.
    Private schools, like the Santa Rosa de Lima high school, made up the bulk of those that were ready to accept students.
    Giant tents had been set up on-campus as makeshift classrooms.
    The focus on day one was providing emotional support for the children, who shared their experiences about the quake.
    "Well, life starts again. We have to go back to school one day. Today we have hardly done anything, just try to have some fun but little by little we will start to work again," said one Santa Rosa de Lima student, Anne Sylvie Riviere.
    An estimated 4,000 schools were damaged or destroyed in the quake.
    UNICEF says it hopes to see more than 700,000 students back in front of the blackboard within the next two months.
    But many institutions, like the Holy Trinity School, will need tents for that to happen.
    "Perhaps some schools will start working. But we don't think that will be the case with the Holy Trinity School because the ministry that was supposed to put up tents isn't prepared yet. As you can see nothing is ready to be opened tomorrow," said Joseph Tancrel Diegue, principal of the Holy Trinity School.
    In the meantime, many kids can still be seen playing amongst the rubble of the Port-au-Prince's streets, killing time whatever way they can.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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