The Cuban Education is not an Utopia
By Carmen Lluch Arocha
The educational sphere has been one of the most harmful ones, since the economical, hostile blockade was imposed in 1959.
Since the triumph of the Revolution in January the first, the direction of the Cuban government accomplished sets of relevant achievements in this area. We can find among them: the well-known Campaign of Literacy, where the main objective was, with an arduous work, to reach the sixth and ninth degrees. At present, “The University for Everybody” in a television-broadcasted variant, constituting another remarkable success of our Socialist system.
This important educative battle, has been carried out, because of the outstanding human will Cubans have. At schools we are lacking pencils, notebooks, paper, the impression of textbooks and complementary bibliographies, also the equipment of laboratories of specialities like Physics, Chemistry, Biology and the scholar shops
It has also limited the acquisition of machines for the Braille system; wheelchairs for physical disable people, the constructive preservation of the day- care centers and the replacement of the school furniture. Together with this, the evident deterioration of the transportation dedicated to the movement of students.
Since 1961 up to now, the great quantity of damages caused by this genocide blockade, are estimated in 79 thousand millions dollars, and most of them belong to the educational sphere.
The bigger of the Antilles is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t have access to any International Financial Bank, what forces us to buy in the international market under very unfavourable conditions.
Nevertheless, we have well-prepared technicians and specialists, and a very important thing, the strong wishes Cubans get to continue developing the revolutionary educational process. Living under the conflicting politics of the administration of the US for many years has strengthened us. We are able enough to show the whole world that the Cuban education is not a senseless process.

No Lose Ends in Cuban Education System

By Mariagny Taset Aguilar
Luis Ignacio Gomez Gutierrez, the Cuban minister of Education, addressed an audience gathered on Wednesday at the Havana Convention Center for a national meeting on Pedagogy. The event will run through Friday and aims to define problems in different areas of teaching and find work strategies to address them in the coming school year.
“We have to ensure that every child born in Cuba successfully passes through all the different school levels designed to provide them with a comprehensive education, so that tomorrow they become professionals and integral parts of society. To achieve this, we must find any weak links —which in our country are fundamentally subjective— throughout the national territory, to be able to maintain this chain of education,” said the Education minister.
Two of the areas that will be addressed at the meeting are trying to find ways to improve early education (from birth to three-years-old), and how to provide better care to those in need of special education or children who come from families with social disadvantages.
The first day of the gathering produced recommendations on how to improve the quality of education in special and preschool education. It was agreed that one of the biggest challenges in preschool education is to standardize the education program and ensure higher worker standards. In this area, it was noted that changes have been initiated to improve family services, particularly daycare centers, which currently are only meeting 40 percent of demand.
Today, education experts will discuss the area of pre-university and technical education.

Cuba is One Big University

By Gabriel Davalos
The right of everyone to higher education is a remarkable achievement of Cuba’s university system, said Juan Vela Valdes, the minister of Higher Education.
Vela told those gathered for the thirtieth anniversary of the ministry that, besides its network of 65 centers, university classes are taught at 3,150 locals in the country’s 169 municipalities. He said that President Fidel Castro’s dream to turn Cuba into one big university is now a reality.
The minister, who took the post last month after serving as the rector of the University of Havana, noted that Cuba’s 800,000 university graduates, of a current population of 11.2 million, is a major accomplishment towards the country’s present and future.
“Since the Ministry of Higher Education was founded 30 years ago there have been changes. Registration is totally free, a scholarship plan was introduced, cafeterias opened, and university education was extended to each municipality,” said Vela.
At the ceremony, Fernando Vecino Alegret, who headed the Ministry of Higher Education during its first 30 years, was presented with a Diploma of Recognition and a card as Member of Honorary of the Federation of University Student.
After a prolonged applause, Vecino Alegret thanked all the “anonymous heroes” who have made possible the many accomplishments of higher education in Cuba.
Past and present university rectors and ministry employees also received recognition.
Mercedes Lopez Acea, member of the Communist Party Central Committee Secretariat, Jose Miyar Barruecos, secretary of the Council of State, Luis Ignacio Gomez, minister of Education, and leaders of youth, student and labor organizations participated at the event.

Cuba to Open 500 Social-Education Sites

Havana, August 22 (Prensa Latina).- More than 500 social and education building works will soon be inaugurated in Cuba, Otto Rivero, vice president of the Council of Ministers, reported Tuesday.
Of that number, over 100 educational centers, including the Informatics Technical Colleges in eastern Guantanamo Province, will be finished before the beginning of the forthcoming academic year.
Rivero noted the remaining social works should conclude by December 2, the 50th anniversary of the landing of the Granma expedition led by Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

No enemy can defeat us.

Affirms Raúl in a statement to Granma. He affirmed that Fidel continues to improve and thanked people for the thousands of messages of solidarity and support from our country and abroad. Measures have been taken to prevent any attempt at aggression. The people are giving a conclusive demonstration of confidence in themselves.


Comrade Raúl, our people joyfully received the message and photographs of the Comandante en Jefe published in the press and the subsequent television report of the encounter with president Chávez. Nevertheless, taking advantage of this opportunity, it would be greatly appreciated by millions of people who have attentively followed information on the state of health of compañero Fidel, to hear your personal assessment, as someone always so united to him.

Without any doubt, what most interests all of us at this time is the Jefe’s health.
On behalf of all the people, I will begin by congratulating and thanking the doctors and the other compañeros and compañeras who have attended to him in an excellent manner, with an unsurpassable professionalism and, above all, with much love and dedication. This has been a very important factor in Fidel’s progressive recovery.

Moreover, I think that his exceptional physical and mental nature has also been essential to his satisfactory and gradual recovery.

I think that we Cubans have shown during these days that we all share that conviction.

I agree with you, and that is why I conclude by ratifying my congratulations to the Cuban people for their overwhelming demonstration of confidence in themselves; a demonstration of maturity, serenity, monolithic unity, discipline, revolutionary consciousness and — put this in capital letters — FIRMNESS, which reminded me of the conduct of the Cuban people during the heroic days of the so-called Missile Crisis in October 1962.

They are the fruits of a Revolution whose concept Fidel summed up in his speech of May 1, 2000, in 20 basic ideas that constitute the quintessence of ideological political work. They are the results of many years of combat that, under his leadership, we have waged. Let nobody doubt, as long as we remain like that, no enemy will be able to defeat us. •

Taken from Granma.
http://www.granma.cu

Unforgettable visit. Chavez y Havana with Fidel

Chavez president met Fidel in Havana, to celebrate his 80th birthdayl. It was a touching encounter that lasted around 3 hours in whit both chief executives shared stories laghs and gifts. Once again Cuba and Venezuela narrowed the friendship bows.

Message of Fidel

When arriving at its 80 years of age, the Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro sends an encouraging message on his state of health: it has improved considerably.

He assures that the country marches perfectly well: "To all those that wished me good health, I promise them that I will fight for it."

Dear compatriots and friends of Cuba and the rest of the world:

Nowadays 13 I have already arrived at 80 years of age.
To say that the objective stability has improved considerably is not to invent a lie. To affirm that the period of recovery will last little and that there is not risk, would be absolutely incorrect.

I suggest all being to them optimistic, and simultaneously to be always ready to face any adverse news.

To the town of Cuba, infinite gratitude by its affectionate support. The country marches and will continue marching perfectly well.

To my companions of fight, eternal glory to resist and to win to the empire, demonstrating that a better world is possible.

Today, 13 of August, I feel very happy.

To all those that wished my health, I promise to them that I will fight by her.