SAN LUIS POTOSÍ, Mexico.- Cuban ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel has resorted to the hackneyed argument of the “economic blockade” to justify the crisis in the educational systemas can be seen in a publication this Thursday on their social networks.
“Nothing will prevent Cuban schools from opening their doors to more than 1.6 million students on September 2. In the midst of an unprecedented economic blockade, which mercilessly damages the educational system, Cuba will continue to support quality education for all,” were his words, given the imminent start of classes and a huge shortage of teachers.
According to him, the US embargo is the cause of the problems that plague the education in Cuba and the lack of some 24,000 teachers for the current school year. With this, it absolves itself of any direct responsibility for the impoverishment of the educational system, the low salaries of teachers and the lack of incentives they receive.
Nothing will prevent Cuban schools from opening their doors to more than 1.6 million students on September 2. In the midst of an unprecedented economic blockade, which mercilessly damages the educational system, #Cuba will continue to support quality education for all. pic.twitter.com/HDxwlMcYbp
— Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez (@DiazCanelB) August 29, 2024
The quality of education in Cuba has been one of the slogans used by the Castro regime in its propaganda, but the deterioration has reached a point where the authorities themselves have had to address the issue and acknowledge the crisis.
The Minister of Education, Naima Ariatne Trujillo Barreto, told the official press that the low availability of teachers has led the Ministry of Education to interrupt the training cycle of students pursuing teaching careers, in order to place them in front of a classroom at an early age.
This has led to a lack of quality in the educational process. In this regard, he added that many students need to revalue the exams, mainly in Pre-university and Secondary education, and there are knowledge gaps that affect the grades in the entrance exams for higher education.
According to the official, one of the solutions to encourage the training of students in teaching careers is to increase salaries and vocational training geared towards these careers.
However, it is not just about that, but also about ensuring that these students remain in the classrooms until they graduate.
The provinces most affected by the absence of teachers are Havana, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Matanzas, Sancti Spíritus, Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey, mainly in basic secondary schools and in vocational pre-university institutes of exact sciences (IPVCE).
In the long term, another solution to deal with the teacher shortage in Cuba will be to reduce the number of schools. In line with the demographic dynamics of the countrywhich tend to lead to a decrease in births and, therefore, to fewer children attending school, the authorities will have to reorganize the school network, said the minister.
“As there are fewer children, we will reduce the number of schools and we will have a lower need for teachers. In that context, we will be able to place greater emphasis on the quality of the professional,” he said about the complex scenario that lies ahead. glimpse today in the country.
