Corruption In Haiti's Education System

Haiti resides in the Western Hemisphere on one-third of the island of Hispaniola between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Haiti was the first African country in the world to gain its independence in 1804. From the beginning, the right to education was a matter of discussion and the first constitution was published in 1805, stating that education will be free and compulsory at every level (J. 164). This small island is the fourteenth poorest country in the world and is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere (J. 163). Poor countries often cohabitates with corruption and when there is corruptions many problems occur such as bribery, stolen government funds, poverty and eventually leading to inadequate quality of education. When there is corruption in the education system, violence tends to arise, poverty, and illnesses. The education system in Haiti has become so corrupt that school is just a business field (Gue). The education sector is a vital part of an economy and needs to be Haiti’s focal point. …show more content…
The statement that education shall be free and compulsory at every level was not very well practiced, but there were a portion of schools and high schools that were built by the government for children of the political elite in urban areas. Eventually, the number of public schools grew. With the rise of public schools during the 1940s, the government started to define educational policies that adapts to the Haitian context and made efforts to expand public education coverage. However, the neglecting of the policies continued during the reign of President Francois Duvalier’s, better known as “papa doc” (J.