Haiti marks official start of school year amid insecurity

The official start of Haiti's school year took place on September 7 across the national territory, according to an editorial published by Le Nouvelliste. The outlet notes that, given the prevailing security situation, some schools will keep their doors closed — either because the surrounding zones have become too dangerous or have been completely abandoned, or because the schools themselves exist in name only. In certain establishments, Le Nouvelliste reports, there is no longer a door, a bench or a blackboard — nothing left to recall that a school once operated there. The editorial frames the reopening as preferable to keeping schools shut despite these challenges. Separately, Le Nouvelliste's coverage references the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) launching the school year in the South and inaugurating the École nationale Jovenel Moïse in Ducis, as well as difficulties faced by parents and school officials in the North-East and challenges confronting the École nationale de Parois. The reporting reflects broader strains on Haiti's education system as gang violence continues to displace communities and disrupt access to schooling.