CUBA EDUCATIONAL IN 1956-1957

UNESDOC

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REMARK THAT  this data  was published WAY BACK ... MUCH BEFORE CASTRO TOOK OVER CUBA.
Cuba
CUBA EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS  IN 1956-1957

ADMINISTRATION  —  School Building —  Educational  Equipment      Committee —  Private Education —  

ORGANIZATION  — Literacy Campaign  —  Primary  and  Secondary  Education  Seminars —

CURRICULA,   SYLLABUSES,   METHODS   —   Upper Primary Syllabuses —  Children's  Week  —
 Visits  to the National  Museum  —   Medical  College  Prize —  "  Sea   Day  "  —

TEACHING   STAFF  —  Further  Training —  Status —  

AUXILIARY AND  EXTRA-SCHOLASTIC  SERVICES  —  Pilot  School Library —  School Meals  — School  Health

ADMINISTRATION School  Building  
 With  the  completion  of  more  than  60  school  units and  600  rural establishments ends the first stage of the school building plan.  
 All the  schools now  open  have  been  equipped  with  the  necessary-furnishings  and  materials.  
The rural  schools  consist  of  one classroom with premises for  practical work,  while most  of the urban  schools comprise

 from  8 to  10  classrooms, kindergarten, administrative  offices, work rooms, refectory  porter's  lodge, cloakrooms, playgrounds, gardens,  plots  for  cultivation,  etc.  
This  school  building  plan  is to  continue, and  the  government  is  determined  to  provide  all  schools,  primary,   secondary 

 and  technical,  with   buildings  offering  the  most  favourable  possible  conditions  for  education.

 Educational  Equipment  
 A  committee  has  been   set  up  by  ministerial  Committee    decision   for   the   acquisition   of   educational   equipment   for  primary  schools.   It   is  composed   of  representatives  of  kindergartens,  teachers   of  handwork,   music,   drawing,   etc.   Private  Education                Rules have been laid down  as regards attendance and   instruction  in  private  schools.   These   function   under   the   same   conditions  as  official  primary  schools.
 ORGANIZATION Literacy  Campaign    
A literacy campaign  has been  worked  out which will  eliminate  illiteracy throughout the  country by means  of the gradual introduction  of an  educational  programme  the  aim of  which  is  not  only  to  teach  adults to  read and write, but  also to  provide them  with essential basic education.  Anti-illiteracy activities will be co-ordinated with  regular  school  education  by  the  Ministry  of  Education.  The  headmasters'  commission  has thanked  the  press  for  the literacy campaign  carried  on  in  the  most  important  national  newspapers  and  1  From  the  reply  sent  by  the  Cuban  Ministry  of  Education.  

130 CUBA magazines  and  has  appealed  to  teachers  and  inspectors  to  cooperate  in  the  scheme.  At  school  inspectors'  meetings, held  annually  in   each   province,   inspectors  have  studied  and  discussed   the   causes   of  illiteracy.    They    were  further   advised   to   work   out   measures   to   advance   the  literacy  campaign. Primary  and  Secondary  

  To make  known  the  extent  and material  of last Education  Seminars  year's   seminars   on   primary   and  secondary  education,  the  work  of the  various  commissions  has been  published. The volume on primary education  is  divided into five parts :

(1) aims of primary education  in  Cuba; 

 (2) curricula; 

 (3) syllabuses; 

 (4)  educational  problems  from  the sixth class onwards; 

 (5) the present  state of education and possible solutions.   

The secondary education volume deals with  the following points : 

(1)   aims   of  secondary  education  in  Cuba  ;  

 (2)  curricula  and  syllabuses;  

 (3)  technical  and  administrative   problems;  

 (4)  secondary  education  teaching  staff.   

Certain  points  in  the  conclusions  reached by these  semináis  are  gradually  being  put  into  effect  and  the  publication  of  the  results  of  the  work  will  help  achieve  further   improvement   in   education.

 CURRICULA,  SYLLABUSES,  METHODS    

 Upper  Primary  Syllabuses   

 The  work   of  the   primary  education   seminar   showed  clearly  the  need  to  revise  upper  primary  education  syllabuses  to  bring  them  into  line  with  present  day  needs.  The necessary  changes  are  now   being  studied. 

 Children's  Week 

 Children's  week  is  considered  very  important.  In  both  public  and  private  schools  cultural  events  began  with  a  day  devoted  to  the  motherland, followed  by  a  school  excursions  day, a  child  health  day,  a  school  and  teachers  day,  a  children's  spiritual   welfare   day   and  a  day  for   physical   exercises  and  sports  competitions.  Visits to  the  National   in  order  to  bring  pupils  into  contact  with  the  Museum  artistic,  cultural  and  patriotic  treasures  of  the  national  museum,  visits were  organized,  within  the  framework  of regular primary  school  activities,  for  state  school  pupils  of  the  town  of  Havana. 

 Medical  College Prize   

 The national  medical  college has  offered  a  prize  to  be  awarded  annually  to  the  three  upper  primary  school  pupils  who  write  the best  essays 

 on  the  subject  proposed. 

 " Sea Day "   

 Teachers  have   been  instructed  to  devote  a  whole day to  the  study  of the  sea,  in  order  to  arouse in  public and private primary  school pupils an appreciation  of the  sea and the wealth it  contains. 

TEACHING STAFF  Further  Training 

  Numerous  further  training  courses  for  teachers  in  service  have  been  organized  in  most   of  the  educational  districts  of  the  Republic. 

 The practical  side  of  these  courses  has  been  stressed by making  the  participants  carry  out  experiments of  real  educational  value.  
CUBA 131

Scholarships  for study  abroad have  been  awarded  to primary teachers. 

Cuba maintained  students  at  the  inte​r​-american rural teacher training college at Rubio,  Venezuela

, where they  are specializing in rural  teaching. 

 Students  have  also  been  sent  on scholarships to the regional  basic  education  centre  at  Patzcuaro,   Mexico.  

 Status 

   Educational   legislation   on  the  appointment,  transfer  and  promotion   of  kindergarten   teachers  is  at  present   under   examination.   The  proposed  changes  are  intended   to  improve  present  competitive  examination  procedure. 

 AUXILIARY AND EXTRA-SCHOLASTIC SERVICES    

 Pilot  School  Library 

  The  Ministry  of Education,  in  close cooperation with  the ​UNESCO regional centre  for  Latin  America  at  Havana,  has  set  up  a pilot school library as a model for other school libraries in the country.

 The   scheme was approved by the intergovernmental  advisory  committee  for  the extension  of  primary  education  in  Latin   America. 

 School  Meals   

 During  the  year  the  national  organization  for  school and people's  canteens  extended  its  services by providing  the  most  important   school  centres  with  suitable  canteens.   The  construction  of  many   new school  buildings  has provided  the  opportunity   of  installing  modern  refectories  in  schools. 

 School  Health                     

 The department  for  school  health  has rendered great  service.  The campaign  launched by doctors  and dentists was supplemented by periodic visits and  check-ups  for the pupils. 

 In rural  areas, midwives and nurses have performed  useful work  in  the  rural missions run  by the  Ministry  of Education.  MORE  DETAILS AT THE SITE OF THE UNESCO   
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