Cuba takes education very seriously. Education became a top priority after Fidel Castro became prime minister in 1959 and this aspect has changed and helped the country tremendously. Education is considered one of the vital commitments of Cuba to its society. This perception is mandatory because there is close coordination between the policies and strategies implemented by the country to ensure that the educational development and social progress Cuba requires from its people is available. Public Education in Cuba has always been free. Even attendance at the University of Havana was free of costs, except for the cost of your books, people had to pay for those. This commitment of education for Cuban people is favored by the society at large, education is a task in which everyone in Cuba should participate in one way or another and should also be responsible for.
After the Cuban Revolution, the new government placed the reconstruction of the education system as a top priority. Alongside all the demands for education, Cuba not only made it mandatory for individuals to get an education at a free cost, but Cuba also focused on the literacy problem they faced as a country. When Cuba realized they needed to be more advanced on their literacy, Cuba opened literacy centers. The purpose of these centers were to further reach out to all, teens and other young adults who were were drafted and sent out to the countryside to teach their fellow Cubans how to read. The Literacy Campaign were open to becoming a resource to individuals. This campaign helped to provide poor uneducated Cubans a better standing in the country and the world. Education was vital to the new government at the time, many leaders believed that for Cuba to be strong and for citizens to be active participants in society, they must be educated into the Marxist socialist policies of the new government which is why they have so much access to free education.
Therefore, Education for Cuba is the safety of its future in the preparation of new generations. The main goal of the Cuban effort is to pursue the continuous improvement of education, to fully meet its objectives, which today leads to the implementation of major transformations. It would be impossible to recognize the value of the present state of Cuban education, its major achievements and transformations without a comparative analysis of the education that existed before the Revolution. Cuba invested heavily to make its education system world-class which is clear and evident in a lot of articles I read.
Discussion questions:
1. Do you think free access to education is helping the Cuban government or hurting the government?
2. What (if anything) can we learn from the Cuban educational system?
3. Do you think Cuba has a good education system?
1. Do you think free access to education is helping the Cuban government or hurting the government?
2. What (if anything) can we learn from the Cuban educational system?
3. Do you think Cuba has a good education system?
I like that Cuba focused on the literacy problem they faced as a Country. I feel that is something we could use in our education system. In the US we have free education but it is always not the best education available depending on where you live in the US. I think free access to education is a double edge sword because the government can drill into student the beliefs they want them to believe but being educated also means having own opinions. I think Cuba does have a good education system because everyone is given a quality education. I think the US should incorporate music education more into their curriculum.
ReplyDeleteHey Natalie,
DeleteI agree 100% with you. When I was reading on the education in Cuba I thought the same thing, I feel like the US should focus on advancing the literacy problems we face. If it does happen, there will be a tremendous change in the US economy when it comes to education.
Hey Brianda,
ReplyDeleteI think one of the ways Cuba is excelling is their education and they have a great system that is available for all. I think we (the United States) could learn from Cuba in how this can benefit society and create more equality between people. In the United States there can be giant divides between citizens because the amount of education one receives correlates to money and status and so on. Cuba doesn't seem to have as a great of a divide which puts people on a more even playing field. I think free access to education is helping the Cuban government in their socialist ideals- it plays along to what they stand for- but education also causes people to think and consider change, which is not what the government wants. In the video "Cuban graffiti artists take over Havana streets" the artists are able to articulate what they don't agree with in their government and what freedoms they want for their art. I believe that part of the reason they are able to do this is because they have been educated. Arguably this is good not for the government, but for the future of Cuba. I do, however, wonder about censorship in Cuba. Do you think the government restricts some things from being learned?
Hey Rebecca,
DeleteTo answer your question, I do think the government restricts some things from being learned because since they focus on literacy as a country, I feel like that is the main goal of a lot of schools. Since schools are free of costs, in my opinion I believe that the government has a lot of say in what is being taught. I did not see much information on this when doing my research but im sure the government takes control of what is taught in all schools in Cuba.
I think one of the most important things that we as the United States can learn from the Cuban education system is that everyone should have the right to a good education. It shouldn't be based on class and if you can afford it or not. While they offer the same education opportunities to everyone, we have public and private schools which can vary greatly depending on location in some instances. For example, a public school in the inner city may not be as accomplished as a public school elsewhere in the country. Schools have varying factors such as the teacher qualifications and level of security/organization. I think some attention may need to put towards our own education system like Cuba did with theirs. However, this access to free education in Cuba may hurt them in the long run. The more people than can read, write, and learn about their society increases the chances of them protesting against the government like many people are already doing. These newly educated people are having more opportunities to see what is being said about Cuba from the outside world especially with the country opening up to tourism.
ReplyDeleteHey Allie,
DeleteTo go off of this, the schools in Cuba is open from 7 AM to 7 PM every school day, and will stay open until July 8 this year. The new school year will start in the beginning of September. This is important because in our school in the US is much shorter during the day and is much shorter throughout the year which shows why Cuba has a literacy rate of over 99 percent.
Brianda,
ReplyDeleteI think Cuba has a very progressive education stance. Not only is public education available, but it also focuses on the arts. As we saw in the Music Education videos, most Cubans start to learn about music at the age of 6 or 7. I think the value that Cuba places on both education and the arts has benefited their people to be able to think outside of the box. Due to this, I believe that the United States could follow Cuba's footsteps in valuing art. For example, not many students in the United States learn about music as intensely as Cuba does and in high school most students are only required to take one art class, if that. The value that the United States places on business versus art can also be seen here at UNH. I am an art major here and most of our spaces that are provided are subpar. I believe that if art was more valued in the United States education system, students could be more passionate and free to choose what they really want to do. Because of this, I do believe that Cuba has a good education system.
Hey Molly,
DeleteYou share very good points and I totally agree with you. It’s cool to know that the primary education in Cuba lasts for six years. It consists of grades 1 through 6. Secondary education is divided into basic secondary education and pre-university secondary education. The curriculum in primary and secondary schools is based upon principles of hard work, self-discipline and love of the country.
I think it is fabulous Cuba offers free education to all Cuban citizens; however, as a communist country, it defeats the purpose of furthering one’s education. This is because jobs such as taxi drivers, hair stylists, doormen are higher paying jobs than lawyers, doctors, etc. So, the jobs making the most money in Cuba don’t require an education. Whereas, the jobs that require an education don’t make as much as they would in the United States. In my opinion, if I lived in Cuba I wouldn’t go to school even if it were free because why spend the time and effort if you’re not going to use the knowledge you’ve learned when you can be making money. I think the one thing we can learn from Cuba’s educational system is teaching children music at a younger age and all platforms of music. I think it is good for children to have a sense of variety when learning different types of music and being able to distinguish the diversity in the music. For example, I see Facebook videos all the time of children born in 2010s and its of their reaction to listening to Metallic. But it’s the fact that they have never listen to that type of music before. As for me, I grew up in a family where music is very important and was taught all different types of music. I still to this day listen to all genres of music. Another example from when I younger is my mom would make me listen to classical music with her and she would make me interpret the song and “tell” a story along with it. It made me more interested in listening to classical music and actually made me listen in depth to the songs. Do you believe it is important for a child to learn different platforms of music? Are there any benefits of doing so?
ReplyDelete