Haiti’s Education minister meets with students demanding returning of teachers

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, – Education Minister Pierre Josué Agénor Cadet, has held talks with students who have been staging street demonstration demanding that the teachers at a secondary school in in Petit-Goâve return to the classrooms.

The teachers at the Lycée Faustin Soulouque High School, who began their industrial action on January 14, vowed to continue their industrial action until the authorities make good on the promise to pay outstanding arrears and appoint new teachers dating back to several years.

During the meeting on Tuesday with the students, Cadet said he was determined to find a solution to the situation announcing a proposal he said would most likely result in a quick resumption of classes.

He said the proposal would allow for the payment of the wages of the teachers, the processing of the files of staff waiting for appointment and the search for possible solutions for the payment of the arrears to the educators.

The teachers are demanding the payment of outstanding salaries for the period 2013-2015, the appointment of teachers to who work in the classrooms and payment for teachers who have not been paid for many months.

In addition, they are calling on the authorities to respect the rights of students who have clashed with police during their street demonstrations.

As a result of the meeting on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education has since called for a truce in the dispute and for classes to resume on Monday next week.