Members of the political Mission, of the Education International (EI), to which participated : Daniel B. Lafrenière, Secretary and Treasurer of the Québec Federation of Trade Unions (CSQ) and the Vice-President of the Federation of teachers of CEGEP (FEC-CSQ), Pierre Girouard, officially met last week in Haiti, Vanneur Pierre, Minister of National Education, in support the Campaign for a quality public education for all, implemented jointly by the National Confederation of Educators of Haiti (CNEH) and four other major labor organizations, of Haitian teachers.

As pointed Haldis Holst, Deputy Secretary General of the IE, the members of the international delegation came from Latin America, Europe, the United States, Canada, Quebec and the Caribbean, to remind Haitian leaders, their obligation to make of the education their top priority, because the reconstruction and development of Haiti, can only be done on the basis of quality education accessible to all.

For IE, it necessarily requires adequate training of teachers and a effective recruitment program, through the recognition of full trade union rights for teachers, and the establishment of a multiparty committee of vigilance, to monitor the implementation of the operational Plan 2010-2015, of the Haitian government, plan whose realization is estimated at more than four billion U.S. dollars.

In her speech, Lourdes Édith Joseph Delouis, General Secretary of the CNEH, declared in presence of the Minister : "This support of the IE to our campaign, for quality public education for all, is a turning point in our ongoing efforts to ensure that the education system in Haiti cease to be predominantly a private system and becomes a public system, funded by the State and accessible to the greatest number."

Daniel B. Lafrenière, Executive Board member of the CSQ, speaking on behalf of representatives of trade unions of Quebec, for his part, reiterated to the Minister of Education, the importance of public education in Haiti, of an adequate training and accessible for teaching staff, of trade union rights, including collective bargaining, the unionization in addition to the participation of teacher unions in this great collective project.

The Minister Vanneur Minister Pierre, after having cordially responded to the questions of members of the Mission concluded : "For my Government, unions are full partners, who must be strong and structured. It is a pleasure for me to work with them. Together, we will make the journey. We will work with everyone, in order to give Haiti an education system that is truly national."

HL/ HaitiLibre