Get a Glimpse of What 'Back To School' is Like in Haiti

Get a Glimpse of what 'Back to School' is like in Haiti

8/10/2018

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The Importance of an Education in Haiti
I have yet to meet a Haitian that doesn't think school is important. School is a top priority among Haitian parents and families. No matter how poor or wealthy, everyone values education in Haiti. Despite what you may read or hear in the news, the majority of Haitian children go to school. Parents will do everything that they can to make sure their child gets an education no matter what. Their determination is one of those things that fascinates me most about the Haitian culture.

Just like we do in the United States, parents and students in Haiti prepare to go back to school in the same ways as us. Because I've never attended school in Haiti, I can't express my experiences on that. So, I asked a friend of mine, Fedno Lubin, who is a student in Jacmel, Haiti. Fedno is also a photographer who I hire occasionally to capture The Real Haiti. *All photos on this post are by Fedno Lubin*

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Washing her uniform by hand for back to school in Haiti

Hanging up her uniform to dry on a clothesline at home

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Preparing for back to school in Haiti

About Schools in Haiti
Haitian students primarily go to private schools, which means there's tuition fees or there are tuition waiver programs available to some. Here's a breakdown of how the education system in Haiti works: (research info below provided by classbase.com)

Primary - Ecole Premiere (Traditional System), ages 6 to 12-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Certificate of Beginning Studies. Haiti Educational system is based on the French system. French remains the language of instruction in the private schools, however Creole and French are used in the public schools.
Middle - Ecole Fondamentale (Reform System), ages 6 to 15-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Brevet d’Enseignment Fondamental.
Middle - Secondary School (Traditional System), ages 12 to 15-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Brevet Elementaire du Premier Cycle.
Secondary - Secondary (Reform System), ages 15 to 18-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Baccalaureat; Diplome d’Enseignement Secondaire.
Secondary - Technical Secondary School, ages 15 to 18-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Technical Certificate.
Secondary - Secondary School (Traditional System), ages 15 to 19-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Baccalaureat II.
Tertiary - Higher education. Higher education is provided by the universities and other public and private institutions governed by the Ministry of Education. The university system is composed currently of four or five private institutions in addition to the State University of Haiti. All higher education institutions are located in the capital city. They offer a degree in law, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, agriculture and veterinary sciences, education, social sciences (mainly ethnology and psychology), economics, business administration, linguistics, international studies, and African studies.

Common grading scales:
80.00 - 100.00 or 8.00 - 10.00 Très Bien (Very Good) US - A
70.00 - 79.99 or 7.00 - 7.99 Bien (Good) US - B
60.00 - 69.99 or 6.00 - 6.99 Assez bien (Satisfactory) US - C
50.00 - 59.99 or 5.00 - 5.99 Passable (Sufficient) US - D
0.00 - 49.99 or 1.00 - 4.99 Mal (Fail) US - F

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Mother fixing her son's uniform for the first day of school

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Getting his shoes shined before school...always looking fresh

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Students walk to school or take a tap tap bus

According to the Ministry of Education in Haiti, the official school calendar has September 4 as the start day for back to school.

Now that you know more about back to school in Haiti, what can you do to teach your kids or students about it and Haitian culture?
For those of you who want to teach your kids or students about Haiti, here's a list of resources available to you:

Facts, pictures, videos, practice lessons and more about Haiti, visit our kids section of our site
Freebie worksheets and posters on The Real Haiti - map, numbers, food and colors
Order a printed book or digital book written by us called Violette and her love. Mermaid Violette is madly in love. Her friends -- a crab, fish, dolphin, jellyfish and shrimp, all wonder who Violette loves so much and can't live without. Read the book to find out who the lucky one is! Written in English and Haitian Creole.
Decorate your kid's room, playroom or your classroom with Haitian Creole wall art prints.

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What are your favorite memories of 'back to school' in Haiti or somewhere else! Share it with us below in the comments.

11 Comments

Lubin Fedno

8/14/2018 05:42:15 am

Hi Diana wow very good about back to school in Haïtien you're right you're doing a very good job.great thank you.

Diana

8/14/2018 10:13:30 am

Fedno!! I couldn’t have done this post without you and your photography! Thank YOU for being our “go to” photographer for capturing The Real Haiti ?? mesi pou tout bagay!!!!

Maggie Evans

8/24/2018 11:28:01 pm

Well done, Fedno! And thanks for the explanation.

Diana

8/28/2018 05:15:49 pm

Thanks for reading, Maggie!

JENNICE CHEWLIN

8/14/2018 07:21:21 am

Thanks for sharing this! It's nice to get a glimpse of what 'back to school' looks like for kids AND parents. :) My favorite memories of going back to school are filled with some jitters and joy of seeing old and new friends.

Diana

8/14/2018 10:09:25 am

Hi Jennice!
Thanks for your comment and for reading! Yes, those butterflies on the first day are a strong memory for me, too!

Carl Bazelais link

8/14/2018 07:35:22 am

Nice work, DPL!
Reminds me of my Le Normalien days. Keep up the good work!

Diana

8/14/2018 10:08:09 am

Hi Carl!
Thanks so much for reading. I’m glad you got a chance to reminisce about the good old days in Haiti ?

Dina Simon

8/20/2018 08:26:07 pm

Diana beautiful post. I love that you are still showing the beauty of Haiti. Congratulations on your little ones. Can't wait to share Violette with my 2 yr old Sydney. Keep up the great work.

Diana

8/21/2018 09:56:56 am

Hi Dina! Thanks for reading and for your comment! Aww yayyy 💕 mesi anpil