ARTICLE - MARTELLY - EDUCATION

FREE SCHOOLING, LATEST OFFICIAL DETAILS
(Haiti Libre) -

Michel Martelly, the President of the Republic, has officially launched, last Friday, the Free Education Program at the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP).

The program, which meets the desires of the Constitution and the determination of the Head of State, will ensure, during the first year of implementation, free schooling for 142,000 children, from 6 to 12 years of age, who had no access to education, in eight of the 10 departments.

Without interfering with other subsidy programs of thousands of young students, the project to which President Martelly in his mandate, aims to make free and compulsory education for all Haitian children. And on October 3, in addition to the 142,000 new children who will go to school, 200,000 students from the first to sixth grade fundamental, living in poor neighborhoods, will receive a grant, to have access to free education ...

The Head of State also announced free education for all newly registered for the first year in the departments of West and Artibonite, where the program of free education is not yet in operation. In addition, he also informed that school fees have been abolished in all public schools of the Republic.

Important points have been addressed, including:

- the continuation of the subsidy program of textbooks to 70% of the purchase price. The contracts have been signed with the major publishers and the delivery of stock is expected at the various points of sale;

- the continuation of the staffing program of school textbooks in public schools and certain non-public schools (presbyteral, community, etc.);

- the continuation of school feeding program (school canteen). 350,000 children are already affected but the program will be expanded to 600,000;

- the continuation of the project in distribution of uniforms;

- the continuation of the intervention program in terms of school infrastructure.


President Martelly President affirmed, that he has promised that all children will be enrolled in schools during the next five years. In this regard, he announced the establishment of training programs for educators aimed to strengthen the teaching staff and to improve the quality of education.