As Haiti continues its recovery from the January earthquake, reconstruction in the country takes many forms. With a literacy rate of about 50 percent, Haiti's education system has struggled to provide for its youth, especially those living in rural areas. The disaster only exacerbated the pervasive institutional problems faced by the country's few reforming educators.
Haiti: Obstacles to Education Reform
Published December 20, 2010
The price of inaction is high. About 65 percent of Haiti's population is under the age of 30. An entire generation is at risk if the country does not act to provide an education for its youth. The Inter-American Development Bank estimates that Haiti will need about $3 billion USD to build an education system that is free, public and universal. Even still, Haiti needs talent as well: Of the 70,000 teachers in Haiti, only about half are adequately trained to teach.
Pulitzer Center journalist Paul Franz talks about post--disaster education in Haiti as part of the Clinton Global Initiative's 'Building Resilient Societies' panel.
Tackling the challenges of working in a tent city, music teacher Alzire Roucourt offers hope and education to the Haitian students in her class.
Gateways
Grantee, Project Report winner
Paul Franz was one of five winners of the 2010 Pulitzer Center YouTube Project Report contest. He is a multimedia journalist with critically recognized skills in visual storytelling, programming for...
