FINANCING FOR EQUITY
1. Overall Education Financing Mechanisms
2. Policies and Programmes to Provide Resources to Schools
3. Education Policies and Programmes to Provide Resources to Students and Families
4. Social Policies and Programmes to Provide Resources to Students and their Families
Primary education is compulsory (for 6 years from ages 6 to 11) and free, however in practice tuition fees charged to parents remain high accounting for about 10% of household spending among families with children in primary school. Parents spend around USD 130 per year in school fees for each child. Moreover, 200,000 children or 5% of the school aged population remain out of school.
The government provides school supplies and teaching aids at the primary school level. The education budget is determined based on basic education indicators such as school type, number of schools, enrolment numbers, student-teacher ratio, dropout rates, etc. Schools receive limited financing from the government and the process of budget allocation occurs at the national level and local education offices are not involved in the planning process.
Most of the school system in Haiti is operated by the non-public sector, therefore not directed managed or financed by the Ministry of Education. These schools include for-profit, faith-based or run by non-governmental organizations. More than 80% of primary schools are non-public and they enroll more than 80% of all primary school children. Likewise, more than 70% of secondary schools are operated by non-government providers.
Haiti relies heavily on donors to cover for its education financing needs. Among those donors, the World Bank has provided USD 70M and the latest Global Partnership for Education grant was USD 14.5m. Other funders include the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB), the Caribbean Development Bank, UNICEF, UNESCO, the European Union.
School Health and Nutrition Program (Programme de Santé et Nutrition Scolaire – SNH)
The national school health and nutrition program targets preschool students as well as students of first and second grade. It seeks to increase school attendance and retention and cover basic food needs of children given the high poverty rates in Haiti. The National Program of School Cantines is in charge of its implementation together with the Municipal Commission of Education (CME). The School Health and Nutrition program reached a cumulative total of 457,897 children in 450 schools. Likewise, the estimated budget for this program in 2015 was of USD 131m in total and USD 65 per child per year.
Tuition waivers
The government of Haiti provides funding to cover for tuition fees, textbooks and uniforms of students from 1st to 6th grade living in poverty. Schools receive USD90 per student for students in both the public and non-public sector. The subsidies program is based on school census data provided by school principals.
Although official government documents state that the tuition waiver is given directly to families in the form of vouchers based on a list established by the Municipal Education Commissions, funds are given directly to schools through subsides to government accredited schools.
The program was estimated to reach 1.7m children and to cost USD 36.6m by 2017 and althoughthe government had the goal to cover 100% of fees for public school students and 70% for accredited private school students by 2015, beginning in 2015, the two programs financing tuition waivers (EPT and PSUGO) stopped financing new cohorts of 1st and 2nd graders.
N.A.
It is a conditional cash transfer program financed by PetroCaribe Fund/Venezuela and implemented by the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It began in 2012. The program seeks to cover schooling costs for children between 1st and 6th grade of primary school living in extreme poverty. The program consists of a monthly transfer of USD 2- USD 18 that can be renewed every 6 months up to 10 times for a duration of up to 5 years or until the beneficiary child reaches the 6th year of primary education. The conditionality is that children are enrolled and attending school regularly.
It is a conditional cash transfer program financed by PetroCaribe Fund/Venezuela and implemented by the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It began in 2012. The program seeks to cover schooling costs for children between 1st and 6th grade of primary school living in extreme poverty. The program consists of a monthly transfer of USD 2- USD 18 that can be renewed every 6 months up to 10 times for a duration of up to 5 years or until the beneficiary child reaches the 6th year of primary education. The conditionality is that children are enrolled and attending school regularly.
