Following a June 10 stakeholder consultation with Protestant education leaders, Haiti’s Ministry of National Education and Professional Training (MENFP) gathered Catholic education representatives for a full day of focused dialogue on June 24 in Pétion-ville. The meeting centered on advancing the National Policy for the Accreditation of Private Schools, Technical Training Centers, and Private Universities, bringing together senior officials from the national education system and leadership from the Episcopal Commission for Catholic Education (CEEC).
Opening the summit, Education Minister Dr. Vijonet Déméro framed the gathering as both a privilege and a core democratic responsibility, emphasizing the outsized role Catholic institutions play in Haiti’s education landscape. “The Catholic Church has built a vast, essential portion of our national education infrastructure, establishing centers of academic excellence even in the most isolated rural communities across our country,” Déméro stated, extending sincere gratitude to the church for its decades-long commitment to expanding knowledge access across Haiti. The minister went on to frame the Catholic education sector as a linchpin for national educational progress: successful modernization of Catholic schools would drive systemic transformation across all Haitian education, he argued, and full sector commitment to reform would propel the entire nation forward.
Déméro also used the opportunity to outline his administration’s sweeping portfolio of planned education reforms, ranging from foundational curriculum overhauls and the rollout of a standardized single textbook to expanded digital learning initiatives, updated civic education curricula, and new programs focused on financial literacy and student mental health and well-being. Beyond curriculum changes, the administration is advancing infrastructure and access goals, including opening dozens of new public schools, constructing new campus facilities, and expanding the reach of the National School Canteen Program (PNCS), which provides critical meals to vulnerable students.
CEEC President Bishop Pierre André Dumas echoed the minister’s emphasis on education as a catalyst for national change, noting that education remains one of the most powerful tools for social transformation and collective liberation in Haiti. “Education cultivates the critical awareness that communities need to make thoughtful choices and advance equitable social action,” Dumas explained, adding that formal accreditation of educational institutions is a foundational step to strengthening system-wide quality and accountability. “This process isn’t just regulatory—it directly lifts the standard of learning for every student across the country,” he said.
After opening remarks, the meeting moved into technical working sessions, where senior agency leaders walked attendees through accreditation procedures and available support programs. Walex Pierre, Director of the Directorate for Support to Private Education and Partnerships (DAEPP), opened the technical portion with a detailed presentation of the core provisions of the National Policy for the Accreditation of Private Schools (PONAEP). Next, Franck Lauture, Director General of the National Institute for Vocational Training (INFP), outlined the formal recognition process for private vocational training centers, while Jean Judson Joseph of the National Agency for Higher Education and Scientific Research (ANESRS) covered equivalent protocols for private universities.
Elysé Colagène, Director General of the National Education Fund (FNE), followed with a breakdown of the application process for institutional school subsidies, addressing a key financial concern for many private Haitian schools. Ulrick Edouard, Director of Programming and Monitoring at the National School Canteen Program, then walked attendees through the steps required for institutions to join the national meal program, which supports food security for thousands of students.
To close the day-long consultation, MENFP Director General Osny Jean Marie presided over a ceremonial presentation, awarding formal operating and management permits to a cohort of school leaders from the West Departmental Directorate of Education, marking a tangible first outcome of the national accreditation policy rollout.