Aid agencies are scrambling to get Haitian children back into the classroom after last month's earthquake destroyed or damaged as many as 5,000 schools and killed more than 500 teachers.

Parental fears for their children's safety are keeping many children at home, even outside the quake zone, and some schools are not available as they are providing temporary shelter to displaced people who lost their homes in the disaster. It is estimated that more than 2m Haitian children are currently out of school.

UNICEF NZ Executive Director, Dennis McKinlay, says that it is essential for children to return to school as soon as possible.

"Apart from being one of their basic rights, education provides children with a sense of safety and normalcy in a time of chaos. Education also helps children to be among their peers and to recover more quickly from the trauma associated with the earthquake."

Mr McKinlay says UNICEF is working with the Haitian Ministry of Education and partner agencies to kick start children's education with tent classrooms and emergency learning materials, as well as identifying and fast-tracking the training of new teaching staff.

"Enough tent classrooms, school-in-a-box kits, and recreation kits have been provided to cover the needs of more than 700,000 children. The school-in-a-box provides children with exercise books, pens, pencils, and other learning materials, while the recreation kits contain materials that encourage children to play.

"The aim is to get children back to school by early April."

Mr McKinlay says that Haiti's education system faces huge challenges just to get back to where it was before the quake.

"Apart from the extensive destruction to schools, the Ministry of Education headquarters itself was completely destroyed, and a number of their staff were killed, including 530 teachers.

"UNICEF is supporting the Ministry with temporary office space and is providing technical experts to evaluate damaged education infrastructure and help with future reconstruction efforts."

Mr McKinlay says that even before the earthquake, enrolment and attendance were poor, with as many as 55 per cent of school-aged Haitian children not attending school.

"In addition, the majority of schools operated far below minimum standards, with poor infrastructure and environmental conditions, lack of basic services and not enough furniture and school facilities.

"The unprecedented international commitment, support and funding seen since the earthquake struck must be used to build back better for all young Haitians. The education system needs to be not only restored, but improved. We also need to give all children the opportunity to go to school."

Mr McKinlay says UNICEF is supporting the Ministry to develop a nationwide "Go-to-School, Back-to-School" campaign designed to mobilise children not just to return to class, but in many cases to go to school for the first time.

People can donate to UNICEF NZ's Haiti Emergency Appeal on 0800-800-194 or online at www.unicef.org.nz