BRIDGETOWN – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has announced a USD18 million (mn) project to improve the quality of, and access to, basic education in Haiti for 68,000 students, particularly those who live in poor and vulnerable communities. It is part of a wider programme of support for the enhancement of basic education in Haiti. The components of the CDB project are aligned with those of the World Bank, which is the primary financer of the programme.

Limited access to education in Haiti has slowed development. Decades of underinvestment in the human resource capacity of the country has led to a significant skills deficit and high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality.  Inadequate capacity to manage the education system has emerged as a significant issue. In addition, there is need for greater quality assurance and accountability mechanisms in both public and non-public schools, and the monitoring and evaluation of these mechanisms.

The project will address these needs through five components.

Improving institutional capacity and governance by strengthening the technical capacity of relevant units within the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) to improve service delivery and overall educational governance.

Supporting access to quality public primary education in poor and vulnerable communities through the implementation of a community education grants programme; a construction initiative that will create additional primary school places; and a public school improvement model, which will improve access to quality education in selected Departments.

Supporting access to quality non-public primary education in poor and vulnerable communities by developing and implementing quality education access and tuition waiver programmes.(CDB)…[+]