Haitian Student Says: French Is The Reason I am Failing

I met a student in my recent trip to Hinche Haiti who says French is the reason he is failing his classes. Can you believe this?

I overheard his older sister talking to him; she was so upset because he failed some of his classes.

When I asked him why he replied:

"I understand the material but my teachers wont even allow me to explain it in my own words. They want me to recite it in French, as it is written in the book. I can't do it Woody, I just can't."

In every other country I have visited, children are educated in their native language. In Haiti it's different, the children think in Haitian Creole but they are failing because they have to memorize and recite French or else...

In Haiti, French is a foreign language. Tout moun pale Kreyol MAIS... il fau s'exprimer... Tu compris...

It is unfair what is happening to these students.

Tchwips... Ke-m fe-m mal pou pitit la... se vre wi!

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All Comments (13)

Ronald Trenard says...

I share that student dellema in that situation.

As he has explained he understands what he is reading in french and he's having a problem expressing it in french.

I beleive the education's system is failing this guy and that nobody can really come to a conclusion that " we must redefine our education "I do realy feel sorry for him. But I must also add if that kid comes to America, I can bet you my bottom dollar he will speak english in 3 months and will forget to express himself in creole.

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Cosette says...

I agree with you Franck.

I don't promote mediocrity.

It's not laziness, it's rather mediocrity.

A cancre prof, cancre

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Cosette says...

How in the world can teachers give proper instructions to students when they tehmselves are so dumb. In Haiti now a day anyone can teach.

I studied in Haiti and can speak french PROPERLY, CORRECTLY even after many years living in an english speaking country.

Out of curiousity, how come when they come here they master english even with just 2 years of grammar classes.

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Daelle says...

Not too long ago my friends and I we went to a foreign conference, As I shared my struggle with them they do the same as well some of them from Africa some from other country which i choose not to mentioned.

i was telling them how they forced us to speak or use a language that not even ours and in the other side we neglect our own language which creole, they shared the same struggle with me, the thing is, we dont want to admit it but it's true on est sous la domination de la langue francaise, point final.

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Gigie says...

I agree with that kid to some extent and totally understand him! I was lucky enough to have had two teachers in Haiti that made a great impact on me before I even knew that it's better to understand the school materials than to recite them. I always had an issue with reciting something I couldn't explain.

With that said, it's not the French Language that's failing him but rather the teacher as a couple of you mentioned.

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B says...

It would be great if the change would be made in Haiti for the children to be taught in Creole and French.

It beneficial to the individual, society and the nation as whole.

Because Creole is viewed and contunually portrayed as a "peasant", "lesser", "unintellectual" language, it has great negative effects on the population.

I hope the change is made during my lifetime.

In the meantime continue to celebrate our mother

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Vilo Exantus says...

I agree with you, French is not the reason the student fails, the teacher is the reason, because he does not know how to teach the children in a way that they could understand the subject and do their home work and answer the questions in their own words.

We have too many teachers who are not trained, qualified and that's why our children are failing.

First of all, I never agreed with that decision that Mr Bernard, Minister of Education then took for Education in Haiti be done in Creole, while he and his colleagues, talking for our children in Haiti to be educated in Creole sent their children to France and Sorbonne to study.

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Bertrand says...

mwen dako ak ti pitit la se sa ki mete nou nan sa nou ye jodi a paske nap fe bouraj de crann, nou bliye orijin nou, menm literature haitienne en francais nou selman ap repete sa moun di deja sa fe nou pa kreatif fok sa

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Haspyl Lazarre says...

The problem is not from the French language.

We need to figure out some other factors.

ECONOMIC difficulties are the sources of all the problems.

Empty tammies of students and teachers paralyze the function of their brains.Nevertheless, speaking French might cause other positive or negative apppearance such as connection to some development, since France has forgotten

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Bwa San Fey says...

Woodring, we all went to that road for our education and we succeeded some of us with brio. When we go to a foreign country with a foreign language we still succeed.

No

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