A/HRC/38/30 attending primary school had steadily increased over the past decades, from 47 per cent in 1993 to 88 per cent in 2011.15 In 2012, the United Nations Children’s Fund estimated that some 74.4 per cent of males and 70.5 per cent of females aged between 15 and 24 in Haiti were literate. 16 It is essential to pursue efforts to eradicate illiteracy, both in Creole and French, the latter being the official language used in all administrative and official matters.17 53. Finances represent the main barrier to access to education. While the Government provides schooling free of charge, public funding is insufficient to provide adequate access to students, and training and pay for teachers. Consequently, 80 per cent of all schools are private, i.e. fee-based and families without financial resources are unable to cover the costs. In addition, education-related fees, such as transport and school supplies, also contribute to the financial barrier. Also, the quality of education provided in public schools is generally considered to be lower than in private schools, and this problem is compounded by the frequent strikes of teachers protesting over low wages and students demonstrating for better education. For example, in February and March 2018, high-school students held demonstrations in Petit-Goâve, which subsequently spread to other parts of the country. In addition, children from low-income families often miss school several days a week as they are compelled to work to help their parents. In rural areas, the insufficient number of schools and the physical distance between the family homes and schools also prevents children from accessing education. As noted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, girls in rural areas are at a particular disadvantage as poverty, child labour, lack of adequate sanitary facilities and potable water, and the high rate of sexual violence and harassment on the way to and from school all contribute to the progressive decline in the completion rates of girls in secondary school. 18 B. Situation of internally displaced persons 54. In 2014, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti identified the situation of internally displaced persons as one of five factors leading to human rights violations (see A/HRC/25/71). Also in 2014, the draft national action plan recommended addressing the recommendations of international human rights mechanisms concerning internally displaced persons, particularly with regard to the right to adequate housing. In addition to efforts to build housing units, the draft recommended the creation of employment opportunities that would give Haitians the purchasing power to buy or rent property. Efforts by the Government and humanitarian partners have succeeded in greatly reducing the number of internally displaced persons since 2010. However, many such persons continue to live in makeshift camps in which they also remain exposed to natural disasters and a range of human rights violations. 55. Natural disasters have been the main drivers of internal displacement in Haiti due to its location in a seismic region and its extensive coastal areas exposed to hurricanes. Poor quality construction, deforestation and a growing population have exacerbated the devastating impact of natural disasters in recent years, including destruction and displacement. Of the 1.5 million people displaced by the 2010 earthquake, some 37,000 remained in 26 camps as at March 2018, mostly around the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, awaiting a durable solution. With time, the precarious living conditions in the camps have further deteriorated. At least 17 of the camps do not have adequate sanitary conditions. Some are deprived of toilets and others do not have regular access to potable water, which presents serious public health risks, including spreading water-borne diseases, particularly since the outbreak of cholera in 2010. 15 16 17 18 12 Ibid. See https://www.unicef.org/french/infobycountry/haiti_statistics.html#117. In 2015, the Independent Expert raised concerns over the fact that an ongoing literacy campaign focused exclusively on Creole (see A/HRC/28/82, para. 30). See CEDAW/C/HTI/CO/8-9, para. 29.