School Leadership and the Politics of NGO Education in Haiti: Preliminary Findings

• In Event: The politics of inclusion: Power, policy, and who education is really for

Proposal

The Haitian education system has long been severely affected by the ongoing impact of neoliberal policies (Wisner & Concannon, 2023), systemic oppression (Damas, 2024), educational segregation (Abraham, 2024), and ongoing processes of impoverishment (DeGraff, 2020), resulting in a heavy reliance on private actors, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Charles, 2023), to fill the gaps left by the under-resourced public education system. The recent escalation of violence, displacement, and humanitarian crises in Haiti has severely disrupted education, exposing children to heightened risks such as recruitment by armed groups and profound psychological trauma (Blanc et al., 2024; UNICEF, 2024; UNHCR, 2024). This volatile context fundamentally changes the conditions under which school leadership is implemented, as leaders face distinct challenges that are often overlooked in mainstream leadership research and training, which primarily focus on (ostensibly) stable, Western settings.

Global interest in educational leadership beyond the “Western lens,”, across diverse cultural contexts and across different governance structures is growing (UNESCO, 2024; Torres, 2025). Leadership is seen as a key factor in improving the quality of education and achieving SDG 4 (GEM Report, October 31, 2024), as well as in realizing overarching goals such as peace, security, and stability (Haastrup & Nwakibea, 2024). In fragile and conflict-affected settings, school leadership is seen as having unique potential to drive positive change (Leithwood et al., 2004), particularly where public systems are weakened by factors like transitional governments (Magno, 2013), as in the case of Haiti. Despite this, studies on school leadership in non-western contexts, particularily in crisis-affected contexts, remain critically under-researched (Striepe & Cunningham, 2022; Ceja-Rodriguez, 2025), and more particularly in highly privatized systems like Haiti’s (Jean-Marie & Sider, 2014). NGO-schools, which are private schools funded and directed by local and/or international NGOs, constitute a major part of the country’s educational landscape (Borger et al., 2023; Zanotti, 2010; Charles, 2023), and therefore demand our attention.

Using Haiti as an example, this ongoing doctoral study, which sits at the intersection of educational governance, NGOs, and education in emergencies (EiE), seeks to explore how school leadership is conceptualized, developed, implemented and experienced, during a period of crisis, within the unique context of Haiti’s NGO-run schools. With particular attention to the challenges faced by school leaders and the strategies they use to respond to overcome those challenges, the study employs a qualitative multiple case study design, drawing upon observation, document analysis and in-depth interviews, to explore the complexity of the conditions faced by Haitian school principals within the governemental structures of a speculative number of NGO-schools. Case study research was chosen because this approach allows researchers to examine systems with unclear boundaries and dynamic interactions with their environment, thereby revealing the complexity and multifaceted nature of real-world situations (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018). This multiple case study is incorporating decolonial methods to challenge power imbalances by placing “marginalized voices” at the center of educational theory and practice (Shah et al., 2025; Mendenhall, 2023), while exposing the practices of those in power (Menashy, 2025).

Based on five initial qualitative interviews conducted both remotely and on site during the first phase of the study, preliminary findings suggest two overarching themes. First, school principals are experiencing tension between institutional expectations and the difficult realities of crisis-affected communities. For example, there are reports of increasing violence and insecurity, which, alongside deep-rooted structural problems such as unstable family situations, are affecting students’ ability to succeed. Meanwhile, school principals report being confronted with crisis-related behavioral and psychosocial challenges, difficulty of supporting pupils in crisis situations, and a lack of training and skills in this area. Second, school principals said that they feel emotionally burdened by the pressure to achieve educational goals set by NGOs, such as the demand for “zéro échec” (zero failure rate), leading to questions about the governance mechanisms role(s) of school leaders in setting objectives and implementing initiatives in their schools. NGO expectations seem to focus more on the structured and measurable aspects of their role including planning, monitoring, and reporting than on broader or less tangible dimensions of leadership that school leaders face every day.

The next phase of the study will involve further interviews with a range of stakeholders within the NGO structure, as well as with representatives of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP), who are currently engaged in the restructuring of both the national curriculum and leadership responsibility frameworks. These reforms are intended to be applied to both public schools and the private education sector.

As educational leadership continues to gain prominence globally, this study seeks to not only enhance scholarly understanding but also provide valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers, by engaging in a context-sensitive inquiry. School leaders everywhere play a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining safe and stable learning environments; in chronic conflict settings such as Haiti, the more we understand about leaders’ efforts and challenges, the more likely we are to be able to increase the potential for peaceful learning contexts.

If this proposal (preliminary findings) is not sufficient for a presentation, I would be very interested in participating in a roundtable session.

Author

• Marion Imboden, University of Fribourg