HAITI: Lessons From The Past Need To Be Learned
Leslie John Griffiths is a British Methodist Minister and Life Peer in the House of Lords. Here he sheds light on the history of a people determined from the birth of their country in 1804 to ensure education allows them to be liberated.
I’m delighted to make a small contribution to this journal and to honour the work of the Steve Sinnott Foundation. I became aware of the Foundation’s work through my own work in and for the Caribbean Republic of Haiti. This brought me together with Ann Beatty and, hey presto, we found mutual points of interest and experience that led, without too much delay, to the invitation to write this piece.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) argues for sustainable development and accessible education for all. The trouble with these goals is that they allow us to imagine that they’ve only recently been formulated. Yet my whole life has been focused on this particular goal for half a century and in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. And it had been a challenge for generations before that. Let me bring readers into the picture.
I’m a Methodist minister and my first appointment on leaving Cambridge was to Haiti. I found myself with responsibility for 48 rural communities spread across the southern peninsula of this, the first black republic in the world. Read William Wordsworth’s astonishing sonnet for Toussaint Louverture to get the spirit of the people of this country at the moment of its birth in 1804. The communities I served were almost inaccessible, the people were largely illiterate, and I had no knowledge of the language they spoke.
President Pétion, an early head of state in Haiti, had invited the Methodist people of the United Kingdom to send missionaries with an expertise in education to help in the building of this new and struggling nation. Two men who’d been formed by the British and Foreign Schools’ Society arrived in 1817 and opened a school on the monitorial principle. The President welcomed this development for, he wrote, “L’Education lève un homme ã la dignité de son être (Education raises a person to their full dignity as a human being).” That aphorism was painted over the entry of all the Methodist schools that were built in the following years. It matches Steve Sinnott’s description of education as “the great liberator.”
In the 1920s, a remarkable Irish missionary named Ormonde McConnell recognised that the education on offer in Haiti was taught in French while the population at large spoke their local Kreyòl. He brought in internationally renowned linguistic experts and, for the very first time, developed an orthography for the local tongue. Soon, schools were being developed in the rural areas as well as in the towns and cities and pupils were being taught in their native language.
In the years I lived in Haiti (1970 – 1980), I had some responsibility for a nation-wide network of schools. For a number of years, I was deputy head of our prestigious Lycée in the capital city. The church, under the direction of Swiss educators, had developed an Institute for the training of rural teachers; it was thoroughly ecumenical and prepared teachers for the most remote communities in the land. They were to teach in both French and Kreyòl. Books were prepared on agriculture, hygiene, community development and such subjects. And in both languages. It was cutting edge pedagogy; the Institute is now almost 60 years old.
All of these developments were intended to offer an education to a population desperately in need of it. It was painful to hear a few months ago that, because of yet more political unrest, it had been impossible to re-open schools after the summer break in October 2019. Sadly, not long after being reopened, schools in Haiti, like many around the world, are once again closed due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
It has been so encouraging to learn that the Steve Sinnott Foundation has been working in Haiti for the last decade. It’s my hope that we can find a way to bring its work into the same orbit as the work I’ve described above.
Education does indeed raise people to the very height of their human potential. This was the case from the beginning of Haiti’s independent history. It remains true now. And it must surely be key to any future well-being towards which the people of Haiti and their friends around the world aspire.
Article from Engage Issue 20.
BY LORD GRIFFITHS OF BURRY PORT • May 21, 2021
For my birthday this year I had the honour to walk 60 miles (yes it was a big 0 birthday) over 3 days to support the essential work of the Steve Sinnott Foundation of which I am CEO. Education in its many forms is essential for all of us to thrive and make the most of life's opportunities. The Foundation works to ensure that as many children and adults as possible across the globe can access the human right of education. The plan was to walk with friends and supporters who I hoped would keep me smiling along the way and it felt like a good way to make use of the Foundation’s “Get Moving” campaign. Here's how my Get Moving Fundraiser went on the first day. The 13th June I started my walk in London by walking from Barnet to west Hampstead and visiting my sister at her shop at Tree of Life where I got served a nice iced coffee to keep me going.
Defining Success in Education: Bridging Gaps for a Better Future Education is often seen as the gateway to personal and societal advancement through personal betterment. But defining success in education requires a deeper understanding than just academic achievement, it isn’t just about qualifications or certificates. Rather educational success is about ensuring access to learning that is inclusive, equitable and quality-driven. It’s about equipping students with critical thinking skills and the space to be creative. A quality education fosters holistic approaches, promoting emotional, social and intellectual growth. On a societal level, educational success is about ensuring we value and appreciate a society wide distribution of knowledge and skills; that diversity of thought can be just as important as orthodoxy. Ensuring Access to Education that Meets Individual Needs Traditional western forms of education based within on e-size-fits all models are inadequate in a world where learners have diverse backgrounds, abilities and needs. A shift is needed away from the top-down deficit model approaches which assume teaching and learning is transactional or akin to filling empty vessels, or as Paulo Freire described it, the Banking Model of teaching. Success in education will come from programmes that respect differences between individuals and across communities, using, for example, adaptive learning approaches. Additionally, integrating support for learners with neurodivergent needs or disabilities, as well as promoting (and indeed funding) digital literacy, can ensure that education is individual but also focused on the emancipatory effects of education. Gender and Racial Equity: The Pillars of Inclusive Education Gender and racial equity are crucial components of a successful education system and a founding component of Sustainable Development Goal 4. Although there has been significant progress here, disparities globally still persist. Barriers such as gender-based violence, early marriage and inadequate school infrastructure pose challenges for the international community. Similarly, racial inequality in education can manifest in various ways, from lower access to quality schooling to biased curricula that don't reflect diverse cultures or histories. To address these disparities, education systems should continue to develop policies that promote gender-sensitive curricula and address the specific needs of marginalised groups. Investing in female education, particularly in underserved areas such as sexual health, has been shown to create a ripple effect that benefits entire communities. Similarly, anti-racist educational frameworks can help to make sure that all students, regardless of their race or gender, receive the same opportunities to thrive. Creating a Better Future: What Needs to Be Done? Most importantly, we need to keep talking about SDG 4 — providing inclusive and equitable education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. The more SDG4 is part of the global conversation the more likely it will become part of the taken for granted expectations of all countries and communities. The more academics like me discuss it in our lectures and have it in assignments, likely the more we are to normalise high quality, free primary and secondary education with our future global leaders. But more than this SDG4 should be at the heart of grass roots conversations, in every classroom, playground, and café. The more we talk about it the more a part of our global culture equitable access to education will become. Ultimately, success in education will not be defined by what certificates students attain, but by how well we equip individuals and communities to navigate and shape the world. Education should empower individuals, communities and nations to achieve their full potential, breaking down barriers that have traditionally limited access and opportunity. By striving for inclusivity, equity and quality, we can build a future where education truly is for everyone. BIOGRAPHY Dr Matthew Round is an academic and educator, who has worked with children from 3 years old to PhD students. Having been a science teacher, pastoral leader, and senior leader in schools in the UK, he now works in Higher Education and his current research focused on the emancipatory philosophies of Pierre Bourdieu and sex and sexuality education.
Every child deserves to feel safe and included at school but, sadly, that’s not always the case for children with food allergies. There are now around two children in every classroom with a diagnosed food allergy in the UK, and 20% of food allergic reactions occur in schools. Yet new research by the NASUWT teachers’ union, in collaboration with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, has exposed the barriers faced by too many of children with food allergies, which can leave them feeling excluded and isolated. The survey of almost 1,900 teachers revealed that 67% have had no allergy awareness training. One in five teachers has never been taught how to administer an adrenaline auto-injector which could save a life in a food allergy emergency, and almost two thirds (60%) don’t know or are unsure of their school even has an allergy policy. Despite a huge rise in allergies in the UK, there is no specific mandated guidance on how children with food allergies should be supported or how and when staff and team leaders should be trained. There is no funding for this either. That’s why Natasha’s Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, has created Allergy School. The £1 million, national programme for teachers offers nurseries, primary schools and out-of-school clubs and groups a suite of free resources, including films, engaging lesson plans and assembly packs and a self-assessment to see how allergy friendly they currently are. All are mapped into the National Curriculum to make them easy to use for all age groups. The resources also introduce Arlo, the friendly, food-allergic armadillo – a puppet which helps to educate children about food allergies in a positive and engaging way. The free resources, for children aged 3 to 11, are available at www.allergyschool.co.uk Allergy School has been developed in partnership with The King’s Foundation, St John Ambulance, the children’s charity Coram Life Education and Tesco Stronger Starts. It has received messages of support from His Majesty, The King and the Government, as well as schools, teachers and parents. His Majesty, King Charles said: “Improving understanding of this issue is so important for keeping children with food allergies safe and ensuring they are able to participate fully in activities at school or in our wider communities.” The aim of Allergy School is to transform understanding of food allergies in schools so that children with food allergies feel empowered, included and protected. I know from personal experience that it can be really hard to keep a child with food allergies safe in school. My daughter Natasha was diagnosed with food allergies as a young child and finding a nursery where she would be safe was extremely difficult. When she started school aged 5, it was only when she had a severe allergic reaction to milk on a school trip to the zoo that staff finally took her food allergies seriously. Natasha died when she was just 15 from a food allergy to sesame. She ate a baguette sandwich that didn’t list sesame seeds on the food label, but they had been baked into the dough of the bread, invisible to the eye. Had the baguette been labelled properly, Natasha would not have eaten it, and she would be alive today. Natasha’s death put us on a mission to campaign for change. Government, schools, teachers, parents and pupils need to come together to support children with food allergies in this country. Our new Allergy School programme will transform levels of awareness and understanding of food allergies in a positive and engaging way for all children. BIOGRAPHY Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, founded The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, with her husband Nadim after their daughter Natasha died aged 15 from an allergic reaction to food in 2016. In 2021, Natasha’s Law came into force which improved food labelling. The charity funds medical research and campaigns for a safer world for people with food allergies. Tanya has been awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to people with allergic disease.
