USAID CBJ FY 2002: Haiti

Summary: This strategic objective addresses one of Haiti's most fundamental obstacles to economic and political development: lack of quality primary education. While Haitians place a high value on learning, and even though schooling is more available today than ever before, the educational system is inefficient and unable to provide quality educational services. Primary school enrollment is 65%, but over 70% of those enrolled are over-aged for their grade. The majority of enrolled children drop out of school, sometimes several times.

Though primary schooling is compulsory, the Government of Haiti (GOH) has neither the financial resources nor the institutional capacity to support universal primary education. As a result, 90% of primary schools are private Catholic, Protestant, or nondenominational institutions, and they account for 75% of enrolled children. The costs of schooling are high for both the GOH and private individuals. The Ministry of National Education employs 30% of all civil servants and accounts for 16% of the GOH 2001 budget. Schooling is expensive for individual families as well, accounting for as much as 15% of family income per child. Despite this huge investment, the quality of services in both public and private sectors is far below that of other countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Through this program USAID seeks to improve the quality of educational services provided to school children and young adults; and address the physical, social, and educational needs of orphans and other at-risk children. Specific objectives include 1) improved quality of primary education; 2) improved services for orphans and at-risk children; and 3) improved access to information and communication technology. The program is also supported by P.L. 480 Title II resources.

Key Results: This objective will be achieved through two intermediate results. "Improved quality of primary education" will enhance the quality of instruction in 450 schools, principally through the provision of in-service training for 4,000 teachers and school directors under the "ED 2004" program; radio education in math and Creole; and the provision of school supplies (books, teaching aides, and curricula guides). Currently 106,000 school children are being reached. In addition, school lunches for 500,000 children are provided through the P.L. 480 Title II Program. "Improved quality of services for orphans and at-risk children" provides support to the Home for Needy Haitian Children, an umbrella group of non-governmental organizations that helps coordinate donor assistance to institutions serving the needs of orphans and other at-risk children. Currently support is being provided to 167 orphanages serving 14,000 children.

Performance and Prospects: Students in ED 2004 schools continue to perform better than their peers in other schools and pass the national primary school completion exam at a higher rate than the national average. The same applies to other USAID-supported schools assisted through CARE and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Third grade students in ED 2004 schools (who are specifically targeted for assistance) continue to perform better in math and Creole reading than their counterparts in non-ED 2004 schools.

The level of community support continues to be high, as shown by the 11% increase in the number of schools with active parent-teacher associations (PTAs). CARE schools show a particularly high level of community involvement: 89% have PTA organizations that meet USAID's criteria for "active" PTAs. In addition, there continues to be a high level of community support for small projects, e.g., construction or rehabilitation of latrines and water reservoirs. While we do not have an accurate count of small projects for prior years, the number for this past year (251) is an indication of the significant energy and time which cooperating sponsors spend on facilitating community involvement in local schools.

On the policy front, USAID and the Ministry of National Education (MENJS) are beginning work under a 1999 agreement to renovate and equip the newly established office of the Partnership Commission, a public-private joint venture with the MENJS to reform national education policy.

During FY 2001, approximately $6.92 million (including $5.28 million of FY 2001 funds and $1.64 million of prior year funds) will be used to improve the quality of primary education; $250,000 will improve services to orphans and at-risk children; and $150,000 will be used to improve access to information and communication technology.

During FY 2002, approximately $3.75 million will be used to improve the quality of primary education and $250,000 to improve services to orphans and at-risk children.

Possible Adjustments to Plans: Recent evaluations indicate 1) that the impact of educational radio could be greatly enhanced through programs aimed at older students and adults and on social and economic issues (e.g., health, environment and civil society issues); 2) that poorer schools should be included in existing ED 2004 clusters (groups of five to six neighboring schools, organized to maximize project resources); and 3) that there is a need for closer collaboration between USAID and the MENJS in the implementation of policy and ED 2004 activities. If expanded trials with distance education during the coming year are positive, educational radio could become the centerpiece of ED 2010.

Other Donor Programs: External donors contributed about 40% of public spending for primary education in 1998. Paradoxically, at a time when total external aid to Haiti has been declining, contributions to the education sector rose from $12.2 million in 1995 (2% of total external aid) to $28.4 million in 1999 (7% of total external aid). In 1998, bilateral aid represented $14.2 million (57% of total external aid) and multilateral aid represented $10.5 million (43% of total external aid). The major donors were the Inter-American Development Bank, France, and the United States.

Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: The principal U.S. contractor under this activity is the Academy for Educational Development. Management Sciences for Health manages USAID-funded activities for at-risk children under a subcontract. CARE and CRS provide school feeding, health, and educational services through the P.L. 480 Title II program. USAID has also negotiated a grant to the Haitian Private Education Foundation, the major national organization representing private education institutions.

Haiti: 521-004

U.S. Financing

(In thousands of dollars)

	Obligations		Expenditures		Unliquidated
Through September 30, 1999	1,093	DA	1,093	DA	0	DA
	1,390	CSD	1,390	CSD	0	CSD
	11,350	ESF	2,677	ESF	8,673	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	CACEDRF	0	CACEDRF	0	CACEDRF
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Fiscal Year 2000	0	DA	0	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD
	5,000	ESF	6,828	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	CACEDRF	0	CACEDRF
	0	DFA	0	DFA
Through September 30, 2000	1,093	DA	1,093	DA	0	DA
	1,390	CSD	1,390	CSD	0	CSD
	16,350	ESF	9,505	ESF	6,845	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	CACEDRF	0	CACEDRF	0	CACEDRF
	0	DFA		DFA	0	DFA
Prior Year Unobligated Funds*	0	DA
	0	CSD
	1,645	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	CACEDRF
	0	DFA
Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA	0	DA
	0	CSD
	5,275	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	CACEDRF
	0	DFA
Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001	0	DA
	0	CSD
	6,920	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	CACEDRF
	0	DFA
			Future Obligations		Est. Total Cost
Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA	0	DA	0	DA	1,093	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	1,390	CSD
	4,000	ESF	8,000	ESF *	35,270	ESF
		SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	CACEDRF	0	CACEDRF	0	CACEDRF
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA

Haiti

Activity Data Sheet

Haiti: 521-004

U.S. Financing