Haitian public school students protest as teachers are on strike over pay

CAP-HAÏTIEN —  Scores of state school teachers in Cap-Haïtien and Gonaïves have not reported to work since Jan. 6. They have been on strike to demand salary adjustments, full employment—including a debit card for those pending formal hiring for years—to be paid—and better working conditions. As a result, many public schools across these cities have been closed. Fed up with being out of the classroom for over a week, students took to the streets on Jan. 14 to demand that their teachers return to work.

“Ban nou pwofesè (Give us teachers),” students wearing their uniforms shouted as they marched in the streets of Cap-Haïtien in the morning. This signals the beginning of a developing crisis in the education sector. 

Despite the students’ cries, several teachers questioned by The Haitian Times vowed not to return to work until their demands are met. However, they refused to speak openly and be named. The teachers’ union has not yet responded to The Haitian Times’ request for comment regarding the ongoing situation either. 

Teachers—among Haiti’s lowest-paying professionals—regularly go on strike for better pay, leaving students out of classrooms for weeks and even months at a time. This situation often results in clashes between the two stakeholders, with some responding by protesting. Teachers went on strike last year for an extended period; however, they claimed it ended without their demands being met. 

Some teachers told The Haitian Times that the previous strike concluded after government officials offered some better pay and higher positions in the education sector. Meanwhile, most teachers still struggle to make ends meet.

This time around, they said, teachers are all on the same page and are determined to remain on strike until their demands are met.

An average public school teacher makes about 18,000 gourdes ($137) to 20,000 gourdes ($150) monthly. They can go several months without receiving their salaries, despite being heavily underpaid. When they finally get paid, they often receive a check for one month’s salary. Additionally, many may spend years working without being formally hired; therefore, they do not get paid until their status is fully regularized.

Aside from teacher strikes, another situation that has consistently caused students to miss school days in Haiti in recent years is gang violence and sociopolitical unrest. As a result, students have admitted to underperforming on official tests. Indeed, fewer than 47% of students passed their 12th-grade state exams in the Northern Department last year. 

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