On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook southwestern Haiti and leveled much of the capital city, Port-au-Prince. As a result, 87% of Haiti’s educational institutions were impaired or completely demolished.

Investment in education, in this immediate aftermath of the disaster, will be critical to the long term development and rebuilding of Haiti’s future. Fundamental institutional challenges plagued the vast array of public and private schools even prior to the earthquake and include:

i) Absence of overarching governance and regulation,
ii) Over concentration in and around the capital city,
iii) Lack of techology priorities and funding,
iv) Minimal teachers training,
v) Insufficient libraries and outdated curriculum.

Ninety percent (90%) of the education system consists of private schools of which most are entirely unregulated, contributing to the poor quality of education. The problem of governance and regulation is the most striking because it has led to the general deterioration of academic research and education in Haiti over the last three decades.

Eighty percent (87%) of Haiti’s schools are located in the affected region of Haiti within or in close proximity to Port-au-Prince. As a result, physical damage has been significant for a majority of the institutions.

The problem of over concentration has played a decisive role in the national academic system’s vulnerability in the recent earthquake.

A large segment of Haiti’s emerging skilled teachers were killed. An uncalculated number of teachers, professionals and students have fled Haiti after the earthquake, contributing to the brain-drain of a critically needed people for the country. Most of the grants granted to Haiti will compound the emigration of Haitian scholars to foreign countries. As result, the challenge of building a new Haiti remains problematic. The solution for building Haitian competence must be built from the ground and on site in Haiti.