Cuba’s Education Needed Radical Change

[Mika]

Cuba’s Education Needed Radical Change
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=27194

HAVANA TIMES, July 29 – Cuba is experiencing a total transformation of its educational system. The reform measure that has been the best received by the public was the ending of the pre-university rural boarding schools program, whereby students lived in dormitories from Mondays to Fridays.

Youths who wanted to continue their studies at the university level were required to live in these educational centers for three years. Of course a couple of “pres” (pre-university senior high schools) existed in Havana for children with medical problems – or for those who had parents with good connections.

Nonetheless, if the end of those boarding schools is important for ordinary citizens, it’s much more decisive for the country to end a philosophy that for decades has promoted university education as the highest aspiration for youth.

The idea was to provide citizens academic training without regard to how many professionals could be absorbed into the economy. It didn’t matter; there would always be slots for graduates on the inflated payrolls of government enterprises.

One of the first effects of this policy was the training of a large number of mediocre professionals, people who worked their backs off to get through the university and then begin working alongside two other people on a job that required only one.

Redundant professionals

With the disappearance of Soviet assistance, the economy could no longer sustain itself. Wages fell and in joint-venture companies —where workers are paid in hard currency— foreigners hired only a small number of Cuban professionals, with these selected from among the most capable.

Given this situation, those who wanted to earn more had no other alternative than to shelve their university degrees and accept work as waiters, taxi drivers or porters, or to begin as some type of self-employed worker, in that way radically multiplying their income.

In the 1990s, I remember a young waitress at a Havana hotel greeting me very warmly. I didn’t recognize her until she told me that she was a journalist and had been at a presentation that I had delivered at the faculty of Communications in Havana.

She explained to me that due to her family situation, there was no other remedy than to look for a waitressing position. She admitted that she earned a good wage but that she felt very frustrated. “Imagine spending five years at the university and ending up here serving meals in a cafeteria.”

It was often argued that people would be thankful for being educated, even if they are not able to practice their profession. In theory this might sound nice, but reality demonstrates to us that in most cases the non-realization of students’ dreams leads to frustration.

Addressing the skilled workers shortage

For the economy, that policy also produced a disastrous effect: the loss of tradespeople. Things have gotten to such a point in my neighborhood it’s much easier to find a nuclear physician or a mathematical-cybernetics expert than a knife sharpener.

To stumble on a bricklayer, an electrician, a carpenter or a proficient painter is like winning the lottery. As was recounted by the historian of Havana, Eusebio Leal, his office had to come up with a group of very old bricklayers to be able to restore the dome of the Capitol Building.

As if this weren’t enough, in a basically agricultural economy, most of the professionals graduated in fields of study that have nothing to do with working the land.

Unquestionably, education needed radical change.

According to information obtained from the two ministries, enrollment this year for higher education will be much lower. On the other hand, there will be an expansion of training positions in trades such as agricultural technicians, skilled workers and specialists.

Vocational schools and polytechnic centers have opened and companies have made commitments to train young people. But the best news is that 96 percent of the slots have been filled, including a new enrollment of 20,000 students in agricultural specialties.

The pay issue is an important stimulus. A bricklayer, a mechanic or a carpenter can earn between 10 and 20 times more than a professional, especially if they are self-employed, where prices are negotiated directly with the client.

It also helps that society is much less “classist” and that different social sectors can mix without there being much tension. Among my friends is a university professor who is happily married to a cleaning employee, and an economist whose husband is a laborer.

In reality, the labor imbalance seems to have been introduced by official propaganda that overvalued the role of professionals in society. Finally, life has demonstrated that it is impossible to construct buildings relying only on architects.

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[Judi Lynn]

1. Stunning, Mika. It's a LOT to think about, isn't it? Really good. Thanks. n/t

[Mika]

2. Shifting efforts to where they're needed, instead of creating scams.

Ten years ago there used to be over 60 tech/vocational schools teaching dental technology in the US. Now there are three. No need to train young people for actual useful careers anymore - the tech jobs are all being consolidated and outsourced to China.

Young people have few choices today - the ever shrinking low wage service sector, the boiler room sector, military, unemployment, or, if they are "lucky" , they can get a position with the wrecking crew pushing paper and celebrating the auctioning off of America and getting rich from it.


Seeing all of the faux concern in the corporate media over Cuba's economy is interesting. They seem to have forgotten that Cuba survived the special period not long ago. Cubans know how to circle the wagons. Imagining anything so drastic happening here isn't a pretty thought.

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[Judi Lynn]

3. True! One HUGE thing they've got is REAL esprit d'cour. Nowhere has it shone so brightly

as in their ability to fend off attacks, as in the Bay of Pigs, or protect themselves from hurricanes, even their pets, and livestock, etc.

I read an outstanding account from an American woman written about her experience during and after a hurricane in Cuba. She said that people even ran around grabbing the fruit which had fallen from the fruit trees during the storm and putting it all together so it could still make it to market before it got too old. Amazing.

She also said everyone lended a hand helping any and everyone who needed help in getting their households back together in short order after the storm passed, a real COMMUNITY working together without bitching, without wanting to be paid or "owed" by their neighbors.

And they ALSO are the ones who discovered super ways to grow food plants which were so advanced they started being asked for help in learning their methods by other countries, including Israel, the same country which votes with the United States against lifting the embargo at the United Nations every year.

[naaman fletcher]

5. Picking up fruit

"She said that people even ran around grabbing the fruit which had fallen from the fruit trees during the storm and putting it all together so it could still make it to market before it got too old. Amazing."

Amazing. That is opposed to all the other countries that sit around and don't protect their foodstocks when they are threatened.

[naaman fletcher]

4. 3 dental tech schools?

A quick use of google shows that to be false.

[Mika]

6. Like this program....

From Kirkwood Community College

Accreditation: The Dental Technology program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of compliance without reporting requirements.

I guess that I should have said fully accredited by the National Board for Certification, the only board that is sanctioned by the ADA to certify dental techs.

There might be chop shops set up to train techs, but they are not accredited programs by the only legitimate body offering accreditation, the NBC.

I see/hear ads for various programs offered by community colleges and some private vocational schools for training ITT people too. Some are accredited and some are not.

[naaman fletcher]

7. This group?

http://www.nbccert.org/ed_inst.cfm

Looks like a lot more than 3.