In Haiti, the net school enrollment rate is around 60%. The lack of resources, both at the family and state levels, deprives many children of their right to have a school education. About 375,000 children between the ages of 6 and 11, one-third of this group, are not in school. Children living in rural areas are the most affected.
Today, the schooling of children in Haiti faces several obstacles:
An expensive education system
Despite the principle of free school in the National Constitution, Haitian families are subject to tuition fees since 80% of the schools are private. These expenses represent a huge expense for most Haitian families. Today, the average annual tuition fee is 75 dollars (about 60 euros). This is a considerable sum for families in a country where the gross national income per year is 560 dollars (about 430 euros).
The majority of free schools are in urban areas
Going to public school several kilometers away, is a real challenge for Haitian children living in the countryside. In fact, they often have to walk this distance.
As a result, many children, especially the younger ones are not in school.
The poor performance of the school system
In conjunction with the lack of access to education, the Haitian school system does not adequately retain students. Abandonment and repetition rates remain at high levels. The average student only attends school for a total of 3 years and 9 months, which is clearly insufficient to guarantee a satisfactory education. Finally, only 15% of the teachers involved have the academic qualifications required to teach.
Poverty and marginalization mean that a large number of Haitian children and adolescents can not go to school.
Tuition fees represent at least 15% of the income of an average Haitian..