Overview
Haiti is located in the Caribbean, on the western side of the island of Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic is located on the eastern side of the island). Hispaniola is located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic. The capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince. The official language is French. Education in Haiti is modeled after the French education system, with similar structures and titles.
In 1492 the indigenous Taino people witnessed the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Caribbean island the Spanish called Hispaniola. The Spanish made the island a principal base for exploration, conquest, subjugation of natives, and settlement of the New World. For more than 300 years the island was an often turbulent crossroads for various European empires. By the 19th century Hispaniola was shared by Spanish and French settlers. In 1807 the western French possession became the independent Haiti, and in 1844 the eastern portion of the island gained independence from Spain as the Dominican Republic (DR).
Education
Special Notice concerning verification of academic records after 2010 earthquake:
For verification of secondary school diplomas, contact the Ministère de l’Éducation National, de la Jeunesse, et des Sports (MENJS), Bureau National des Examens d’Etat (BUNEXE).
For verification of postsecondary records, write to the Registrar or Dean of the institution concerned. You may also be able to email inquiries via the institutional web site.
Primary and Secondary Education
In the traditional system, primary education takes place at an école primaire. The length of the program is 6 years, from age 6 to 12. The certificate awarded is the Certificat ďEtudes primaries. There is a traditional secondary system, as well as a reform system in the early stage of development. The length of the traditional program is 7 years, from ages 12 to 19. Based on the French system, secondary education lasts for seven years and is divided into two cycles (three and four years). The Baccalauréat I is a certificate awarded after succeeding in the state examination at the end of the third year. The Baccalauréat II, taken at the end of the fourth year (13 years of education), is a state diploma that marks the end of the secondary level. The reform system, coming into place, has a 9 year primary (fundamental instruction) cycle followed by a 3 year secondary cycle.
Technical Secondary Education is offered at the Technical Secondary School. The length of program is 3 years, from ages 15 to 18.
Post-Secondary Education
Higher education is provided by universities and other public and private institutions. Higher education is generally under the responsibility of the Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale et de la Formation Professionnelle. The license for teaching in areas of medicine is issued by the Ministry of Health.
There are a number of advanced training institutions for professional fields leading to Diplomas and Certificates. The nursing program is three years.
First Cycle
The university level first stage is the award of the Licence or professional title, after 4 years of study.
Second and Third Cycles
The second stage is the Maîtrise awarded after two years of study beyond the Licence. Medical degrees (Docteur en Médecine) are awarded after five to seven years.
Teacher Training
For training of pre-primary and primary / basic school, holders of the Diplôme de Fin ďEtudes Fondamentales (reform) or of the Brevet Elémentaire du Premier Cycle (traditional system) take a competitive entrance examination for entry into the Ecole Normale ďInstituteurs for a three-year course culminating in the Diplôme ďInstituteur. Alternatively, students with a Baccalauréat I can follow a one-year teacher training course. They have to sit for a competitive examination. For secondary school, students with a Baccalauréat II take an entrance examination for a three-year course at the Ecole Normale Supérieure. Upon successful completion of the course, students are awarded a Diplôme. There are private Institutions de Formation des Maîtres du Secondaire. Three private universities offer courses in Educational Sciences.
