Haiti - Covid-19 : State of health emergency, official examinations maintained

Haiti – Covid-19 : State of health emergency, official examinations maintained
26/05/2021 08:42:27

Following the Government’s decision, to declare a state of health emergency throughout the national territory, as of May 24 and for 8 days [for the moment], due to the significant and sustained increase in the number of new cases of Covid-19 since the beginning of May, (nearly 1,000 cases and 38 deaths in 21 days https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33806-haiti-covid-19-flash-nearly-1-000-new-cases-and-38-deaths-in-21-days.html); Pierre Josué Agénor Cadet, the Minister of National Education with several of his colleagues and members of his cabinet, reminded in a press conference at the beginning of the week, the barrier gestures and the instructions to be followed in the educational spaces, in order to avoid the spread of the disease which is spreading rapidly with the presence of the highly contagious English and Brazilian variants.

Minister Cadet assured that schools, universities and vocational training centers will continue to operate in order to complete the 2020-2021 academic year. “One of the missions of the Ministry of National Education is to provide education for all and for all, in all circumstances. This means that we must have pedagogical continuity. But faced the Covid pandemic, this educational continuity must be linked with the health protocol already in circulation in the education sector,” emphasizing the need to protect learners and educational staff.

Cadet recalls that the public schools are preparing to organize the end-of-year exams, specifying that the official exams will take place in strict compliance with barrier gestures according to the Ministry’s schedule :

9th AF: July 12 to 14

Normal Schools of Teachers (ENI): July 12 to 15

Family Education Centers (CEF): July 12 to 15

End of secondary studies (baccalaureate): July 26 to 30

Technical and vocational training (FTP): August 26 to 30

Cadet stressed that all the schools involved in these State exams will have to respect the barrier measures : wearing a compulsory mask, social distancing and regular hand washing, among others which are required in the overall framework of the functioning of educational institutions but also during the end-of-year exams. “Everything is being put in place at the level of the Ministry for the organization of state examinations. It is planned to receive only 26 students (candidates) per classroom […]” adding that school inspectors will be mobilized to verify compliance with instructions and that they will be intractable with offenders.

HL/ HaitiLibre

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