PORT-AU-PRINCE—As Haiti grapples with ongoing violence, thousands of children are expected to enter overcrowded classrooms when schools reopen next week, with class sizes potentially doubling to as many as 80 students. This situation arises as hundreds of schools remain closed, according to a report from Save the Children.
The Haitian government has postponed the start of the academic year to October 1 due to threats from armed groups, which have displaced approximately 600,000 individuals—about 5% of the population—this year. Over the past school year, more than 900 schools temporarily shut their doors, impacting roughly 200,000 children’s access to education. Many of these facilities are still being used as shelters for displaced families and are unlikely to reopen in the immediate future.
In Haiti’s South Department, an influx of families fleeing violence in Port-au-Prince has severely strained an already fragile educational infrastructure. Local partners of Save the Children in Les Cayes report that the influx of internally displaced children will push class sizes beyond 80 students, significantly exceeding the recommended capacity.
Maria Rosette, a school director supported by Save the Children’s local partner ProDev, expressed the difficulties of delivering quality education under such overcrowded conditions. She noted the psychological toll on displaced students, who are facing heightened levels of distress due to their traumatic experiences.
“Children should receive quality education, but with so many students, that becomes impossible,” Rosette explained. “Those at the back of the classroom often suffer the most, as they easily get distracted.”
She further emphasized the mental health and psychosocial support issues affecting displaced children. “These kids witnessed so much violence in Port-au-Prince, and they are now dealing with stress and anguish. Many exhibit aggressive behavior; fights and rock-throwing incidents have become common among new arrivals and local children. While motivation to learn is lacking, I hope they will gradually become more receptive to continuing their education and addressing the challenges they face.”
As the new academic year approaches, families are grappling with significant obstacles in returning their children to school. Ongoing violence and soaring inflation have made it difficult for families to afford basic school supplies. Furthermore, schools that served as shelters require extensive cleanup and repairs before they can fully resume educational activities.
For children in active conflict zones in Port-au-Prince, returning to school may remain impossible even if classrooms reopen. The perilous journey through armed group-controlled areas poses risks, including exposure to gunfire and potential recruitment into these factions.
Chantal Sylvie Imbeault, Save the Children Haiti’s Country Director, underscored the gravity of the situation. “The crisis in Haiti is, above all, a children’s crisis. Hundreds of thousands of children have been displaced, denied their education, and deeply traumatized by the violence they have witnessed.”
Imbeault pointed out that access to education in Port-au-Prince is severely limited due to school closures in areas controlled by armed groups, attacks on educational facilities, displacement, and rampant violence. “Many children cannot safely reach school because of the violence surrounding their communities. If armed groups continue to disrupt the city, many will not return to school next week.”
She warned that the combination of lack of education, overcrowded classrooms, and a mental health emergency threatens to devastate an entire generation—a generation already scarred by deadly earthquakes, hurricanes, and relentless violence. “For many children in Haiti, education represents their only hope in an increasingly uncertain world, but that hope is rapidly fading.”
Save the Children is providing cash assistance to displaced families living in schools-turned-shelters in Port-au-Prince to help them secure more dignified housing solutions, thereby freeing up schools to resume educational activities. The organization is also collaborating with local partners in Haiti’s West, Grand’Anse, and South departments, including Les Cayes, to provide access to quality education and psychosocial support for students in need, while calling for increased funding to support mental health initiatives for children affected by violence.
The organization urges the international community to assist the Haitian government in prioritizing school reopenings while ensuring that displaced families currently sheltering in classrooms can afford safe, alternative housing, and that teachers receive timely compensation.
Save the Children has been active in Haiti since 1978, providing critical support in both urban and rural areas, including cash assistance for urgent needs, health and nutrition support, and access to quality education for children.
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