Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to schools
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
In Haiti, the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training centrally manages the allocation of education budgets. Budgeting and resource distribution for school operations and investments—such as salaries, materials, maintenance, and infrastructure—are determined at the national level. Funds flow from the central government directly to schools, primarily through grants and subsidies intended to support their autonomy in meeting local needs. Local education offices and school management boards typically are not directly involved in budget planning; instead, most financial decisions and allocations originate from the central administration. This system is highly centralised, with operational funding provided primarily by the Ministry.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The Departmental Education Directorates (DDE) are the deconcentrated offices of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP), responsible for implementing sector policies and managing administrative operations within their jurisdictions. No evidence was found of a funding mechanism that transfers resources from the central government to local governments based on equity considerations.
2. Education resources to schools
Since 2007, the Tuition Waiver Programme has provided subsidies to cover tuition fees, textbooks, and uniforms for students in grades 1–6 living in poverty, in both public and accredited non-public schools. Schools receive USD 90 per eligible student, with allocations based on census data reported by school principals. Funds are transferred directly to schools through government subsidy programmes. Although the original target was to cover 100% of fees for public school students and 70% for accredited private school students by 2015, from that year onward, the two tuition waiver programmes (EPT and PSUGO) ceased financing new cohorts of 1st and 2nd graders. The Haitian government’s Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) coordinates the programme, but the financial support comes substantially through external sources such as the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, and the European Union.
3. Education resources to students and families
One million Creole-language books
In 2023, Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training oversaw the large-scale production and free distribution of one million Creole-language books for students in grades 1 and 2. This initiative was funded primarily by the Haitian government, which allocated over 780 million gourdes to subsidize and provide textbooks, with publishing houses such as Henri Deschamps reportedly receiving significant support for this effort. The programme reflects a policy shift toward mother-tongue instruction and aims to strengthen foundational literacy across the country.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Ti Manman Cheri Conditional Cash Transfer Programme
Launched in 2012 under the Ede Pèp initiative, Ti Manman Cheri provides monthly cash transfers to mothers living in extreme poverty, conditional on their children’s enrolment and regular school attendance. The programme seeks to reduce education costs for families, increase school attendance, improve education quality, empower women, and stimulate the local economy. Transfers are provided for six-month periods, renewable up to 10 times (five years). Since 2015, a microcredit component has supported mothers’ income-generating activities, such as fishing and agriculture, to enhance economic autonomy. Funding comes from the PetroCaribe Fund (Venezuela) and the Government of Haiti Public Treasury. According to the IMF, this programme ended in 2018.
Payments to school aged children are administered through the FAES as part of the Multisectory Emergency Programme for the Stabilisation and Social Reintegration of Vulnerable Groups (PUMARGV) programme. In 2023 these were funded through Food Shock Window programme of the IMF. In 2025, the evolution of the programme called Multisector Emergency Program to Support the School Year and the Livelihoods of Vulnerable Groups (PUMARVG) distributed an average of HTG 15,342 to 72,798 recipients.
5. School meal programmes
Programme national de cantines scolaires (National School Canteen Programme)
The Programme national de cantines scolaires (PNCS) provides in-school meals to primary school children, considering school-specific characteristics. School feeding activities in Haiti began in 1969 with the World Food Programme and, in 1997, the PNCS was established under the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) to coordinate, regulate, and harmonize these initiatives. In 2024, the PNCS released the revised National School Feeding Policy and Strategy (PSNAS) 2024–2030, endorsed by the Ministers of Education, Agriculture, and Health. The policy defines the programme’s vision, objectives, targeting criteria, nutritional standards, implementation methods, roles of stakeholders, and funding mechanisms, aligning school feeding with national planning. The programme follows national nutritional guidelines under the supervision of nutritionists and specialists.
This profile was reviewed by Sergot Jacob, Prof. of Economics, Quisqueya University.
