The last few weeks has seen a stronger emphasis on praying for school in church. It maybe hard for people to understand how important this is for the Haitian families. Education is a goal for all children but not obtainable for all.
Most of the schools in Haiti are run by churches. To be able to go to school your family must be able to pay for: fees, uniforms [law], books, supplies, shoes and sometimes extras [tests, labs, trips]. The schools have few supplies as most of the fees go to cover salaries.
Think about how education in your country would look if the parents had to pay for all these supplies.
Please join us in praying from this coming school year. That the needed resources will be supplied. That the teachers will do a wonderful job shaping young minds that will shape the future of this country. That the students will do their best-have the food and supplies they need to learn and grown. That the parents will not have to make hard decisions between school, rent, food or medications. Thank you.
Here is some information I found on UNICEF's web site written last year following the flooding in Gonaives.
Education in Haiti is always a trying issue, even when not complicated by a natural disaster. In a country hobbled by poverty and lack of infrastructure, schooling has not been a government priority.
Only about 50 per cent of school-aged Haitians attend primary school, and most of them do not reach the fifth grade. Most schools in the country are private. Although the fees can be as low as $50 a year per child, even this can be a burden on people living on less than $2 a day.
Still, for families struggling to afford school for their children, the past year has been particularly difficult. Food scarcity and a spike in world food prices are squeezing most families in Haiti. In Gonaïves today, school fees seem a fantasy for many.
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Grand Rapids, Monday; "Michigan State Police officers investigate a shooting at the campus of Creston High School Monday afternoon."
Tuesday "Creston High was placed on a code red lockdown Tuesday morning following the discovery of a sawed-off shotgun. Two students were arrested after one of them was found with the weapon. No shots were fired and no one was injured. A staggered dismissal was ordered to begin at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday with students leaving single file, by classroom, passing through metal detectors on the way out. Extra police were present at the bus transit center as well.
Tuesday’s incident comes a day after a 16-year-old student fired a gun into the air after a confrontation with gang members at the end of the school day Monday. It was a teacher who made the discovery Tuesday morning after the school was put on high alert following Monday’s shooting. “We had a heightened level of security following the incident yesterday. The staff was briefed in advanced of what signs to look for, any strange behavior. One teacher identified a student who was acting strangely. That student was pulled from class and that student had a gun,” said GRPS District spokesman John Helmholdt who adds that additional safety measures would be taken for Wednesday when students return to class."
It is good no one got hurt, but it is sad that education isn't as important to kids here.
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