By Nesmy Manigat

Every year, in July, the ritual of the baccalaureate examinations brings together tens of thousands of young Haitian women and men. For generations, it has constituted a true rite of passage. Until the ministerial decision of 2014, it was not uncommon for parents, despite very limited means, to make considerable sacrifices to buy their child new clothes so that he or she could sit the examinations with dignity and pride. For some families, this effort went as far as taking on debt, revealing the immense symbolic significance attached to this examination. This choice could sometimes be made at the expense of other expenses that were nevertheless essential to succeeding in the examination, so strongly was the baccalaureate perceived as the key to a better future. Behind a simple suit or a new dress lay an entire hope: that of seeing a child cross a decisive milestone, honor the family and open the way to social advancement through knowledge. Few educational institutions in Haiti have retained, with such intensity, their power to bring families together, nurture hope and symbolize the trust placed in education.