capital city closed since last month’s catastrophic earthquake — and
unlikely to open for several months — informal classes have begun
springing up in the streets.
“The children are traumatized,” said
The older children play games and read Bible verses; the youngest children review colors, shapes and numbers.
And even in the wealthy suburbs, parents are hiring
out-of-work teachers to privately tutor their children for upcoming
state exams.
“Our entire education system is suffering,” said
More than 80 percent of the 5,000 schoolhouses in
earthquake. Last week, some primary and secondary schools outside of
the capital city opened their doors to students for the first time
since the quake. But the
In the meantime, makeshift schools are springing up
in the encampments that shelter children and their families. Inside the
national soccer stadium — now a bustling tent city home to several
hundred people — Longchamp leads more than 60 children in daily
exercises. On a recent morning, the children formed a massive circle.
They lay on their bellies, pretending to swim like little fish.
“All right, my friends, let’s jump up and down,” Longchamp said, prompting the children to spring to their feet and bounce.
The teacher then invited 7-year-old Celena Chehe
into the center of the circle, and asked her to recite a poem she had
learned in school.
“Father Christmas, bring me a doll and something for
my brother,” the girl sang in her tiny voice, before curtsying and
returning to her place in the circle.
The other children cheered.
“I am happy that we have school again,” Celena said. “It’s fun.”
In the camp at the
de la Gonzague school, the little children sat in a circle on the
blacktop, singing songs their teachers had taught them before the
earthquake. Adults stood around, clapping and offering encouraging
words.
Experts say the children of
need continuity and stimulation in the aftermath of the quake, the
worst natural disaster in the nation’s history. The hundreds of
thousands of kids not attending makeshift school are at risk of getting
involved in gangs, or finding adults who might exploit them.
What’s more, Haitian children have to take the national exams in June.
Already, eight parents have asked teacher Donald
Dorcella to tutor their children. Dorcella is now planning to open an
informal private school in Petionville, a suburb of
“My job is to do whatever I can to keep our children educated,” he said.
Dorcella said he will teach basics: math, science,
French literature and social sciences. But he knows he will have to
take a new approach to keep the children engaged in their studies,
given what they have witnessed.
Some of the youngsters seem to be without hope.
“They don’t see the point of their studies,” Dorcella said. “I have to
make it fun for them.”
He plans to include popular movies, jokes and songs
in his curriculum. He will also include Bible studies for at least 30
minutes a day, he said.
Still, other wealthy and middle-class parents are choosing to send their children to schools in the nearby
“It’s like a mini-exodus,” said
—
(c) 2010, The Miami Herald.
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