On June 22, 2026, Haiti’s Minister of National Education, Vijonet Déméro, issued an official circular establishing binding national minimum academic time requirements for all education levels from preschool through secondary school, aimed at guaranteeing equitable, high-quality learning outcomes for students across the entire country.
The new framework sets a consistent 36-week academic year and 180 required instructional days across all grade bands, with adjusted weekly and annual hourly targets tailored to each educational stage. For preschool programs, the rule mandates 24 hours of instruction per week, adding up to an 864-hour annual minimum. For the first and second cycles of fundamental education, the weekly requirement rises to 25 hours, resulting in a 900-hour annual total. Both the third cycle of fundamental education and all secondary education levels are required to deliver 30 hours of instruction weekly, reaching a 1,080-hour annual minimum.
The circular clarifies that only days actively dedicated to teaching, learning activities, student assessments, and direct pedagogical support count toward the required 180-day total, excluding administrative or non-instructional days from the official count.
To enforce compliance, the policy outlines clear implementation and accountability rules. All schools are required to align their annual academic calendars with the national calendar published yearly by Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and Professional Training (MENFP), which is structured around the new hourly quotas. In cases where unplanned, forced school interruptions occur—such as severe weather events, socio-political unrest, or other public emergencies—school leadership is legally required to implement immediate make-up instruction measures. All contingency recovery plans must receive formal approval from the relevant local Department of Education (DDE) to ensure the full annual hourly quota is met. Local DDE bodies are also tasked with conducting regular, rigorous compliance audits of both public and private educational institutions across their jurisdictions.
Transitional provisions confirm that the new standards take effect immediately upon publication of the circular. The MENFP’s general directorate and relevant technical departments are responsible for widespread dissemination of the new rules and monitoring strict implementation. In closing the circular, the Ministry called on all stakeholders within Haiti’s education system to uphold their commitments to ensure all Haitian children access the guaranteed instructional time they are entitled to.