Cuba denounces the impact of US blockade on education

The Ministry of Education of Cuba (MINED) denounced Wednesday the effects on the sector of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the US against Cuba for almost six decades.

On its official website, the organization provided some examples illustrating the policy's effects on the different levels of education.

High school education could not import the musical instruments necessary for Artistic Education and student activities.

It is impossible to acquire literature from English-speaking authors and specialized dictionaries to teach that language in Cuban classrooms.

Regarding the senior high school level, the Minister denounced that, due to the 'unconventional measures to prevent the supply of fuel to our country', some subjects' teaching is limited, and study programs and timetables have been adjusted.

Among the most affected are some 100 boarding schools, to which is added the insufficiency of resources.

Between April 2019 and March 2020, the sector's impact is estimated at 21 million 226 thousand dollars.

The Cuban state allocated 23.7 percent of the 2020 budgeted social expenditure to promote free and inclusive education, whose achievements were recently recognized by a report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).