The start of Haiti’s academic year in September 2019 was a moment of cautious hope after months of school closures and disruption, as parents, teachers, and students hoped that the return of relative calm would allow the country’s education system to function without the interruptions that had characterized much of the year. Schools across the country opened their doors, though enrollment figures were down in many institutions as families who had lost income during the crisis struggled to pay fees.
Teachers faced the daunting task of resuming normal instruction after a school year that had been severely disrupted. Students preparing for the national baccalaureate exam were particularly anxious, aware that the gaps in their education caused by the crisis could affect their performance on high-stakes tests that would determine their university and professional futures.
The Ministry of National Education announced adjustments to the academic calendar to try to compensate for lost instructional time, and promised to work with schools to prioritize examination preparation. But resources for the kinds of intensive catch-up programs that would truly address the learning deficit were limited.
Parent associations across the country organized meetings to discuss how to support students who had fallen behind. In some neighborhoods, informal tutoring networks emerged, with older students helping younger ones and retired teachers volunteering their time. The community response to an education crisis, like so much else in Haiti, demonstrated that resilience and solidarity could partly compensate for what the state failed to provide.