Haiti: Towards a change in school programs
Nesmy Manigat, the Minister of National Education, presented to the Local Group for Education Partnerships in Haiti the Curricular Orientation Framework (COC) of the Haitian education system. Manigat specified that the COC is a reference document which will serve as a guideline for the development of the elements constituting the Haitian school curriculum and the conditions of its implementation.
According to Minister Manigat, this document, on which the ministry has been working for several months, is a reference for implementing the new curriculum to transform the education system, particularly regarding quality and governance.
As part of this presentation, Manigat declared that the change of school programs is a major project launched by the ministry. This project is based on a decision consistent with the requirements of the educational community in particular and the rest of society in general.
"The new Curriculum Orientation Framework is a guide that says how schools in Haiti must train young people if we want to build a society that promotes economic progress, social progress; a society that prepares people to live together in Peace," said the Minister.
The new curriculum orientation framework prescribes :
Four areas at the preschool level:
1) Physical and artistic expression;
2) Introduction to mathematics;
3) Language and communication;
4) Discovery of the world
Five areas at the primary and secondary levels:
1) Language and communication;
2) Personal and social development;
3) Mathematical and experimental sciences;
4) Social sciences;
5) Technological and production activities.
The new curricular orientation framework promotes seven fundamental values that all Haitians must share and propagate
1) Respect (for his parents, his family, the place where he lives, nature, culture);
2) Show solidarity in the defense of causes,
3) Tolerance;
4) Honesty with oneself and with others;
5) Act with fairness;
6) Show that he is a citizen who knows the history of his country and loves his country;
7) Demonstrate commitment in the political, social, economic and cultural fields.
In linguistics, this document defends the idea of teaching based on several languages, but it is a teaching which is not as usual. Creole and French will be taught from kindergarten to high school 4. Spanish and English will start earlier, in 5th grade, although there is no ban on the teaching of these two languages starting. Earlier. Activities at the preschool level and teaching in the first four basic years must be done in Creole, even if students will be trained in these two languages simultaneously.
In summary, this document presents five developments for the education system :
1) Citizenship education, which has become a discipline in its own right;
2) Transition from Creole/French bilingualism to Creole/French/English/Spanish multilingualism with the possibility of learning other languages;
3) Transition from an objective-based approach to a skills-based approach;
4) Preschool level become compulsory;
5) Commitment, as one of the school's fundamental values, must be promoted.
In this sense, the Ministry highlights certain important factors which can facilitate the successful implementation of the new curriculum, such as :
1) The regulations and framework of institutions that train teachers and principals;
2) The personal and professional development of teachers;
3) Strengthen an information system, including indicators to measure the impact of reforms;
4) Increase the amount and quality of public spending devoted to education.
The new curriculum guidance framework will begin to be implemented from the 2024-2025 school year and is expected to be valid until 2054.
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