Cuban Minister of Education participates in UNESCO meeting in Chile

 Cuba is attending in Chile the 30th anniversary meeting of the Latin American Laboratory for the Evaluation of the Quality of Education (LLECE), a South-South cooperation space that monitors learning in the region.

In an interview with the media, the Cuban Minister of Education, Naima Trujillo, explained that since its establishment, her country has actively participated in the studies conducted by this organization, which are crucial for decision-making and teacher training.

She also highlighted that Cuban experts have contributed to this laboratory, which has a strong reputation in the region and fosters a dialogue of great respect.

Cuba will participate in 2025 in the Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study, which will assess key subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science. This study will be applied to over 190,000 students from approximately 5,000 schools in the region.

The meeting is sponsored by the UNESCO Regional Office, and has the presence of delegates from 19 Latin American countries, as well as Spain and Portugal.

Trujillo referred to Cuba's cooperation programs, including the most recent one in Honduras, where the Yo Sí Puedo method is being implemented. This method has allowed several municipalities to become literate.

Regarding the current priorities in the Caribbean island, she mentioned the system of professionalizing teachers, the reorganization of the school network, and the transformation of the curriculum through the introduction of new textbooks.

She commented that there are also innovations in vocational technical education, and efforts are being made to strengthen citizen trajectories, which is the concept of providing training from an early age and connecting citizenship with employment and social integration.

The minister recalled that education in Cuba is free from primary to university level, and this benefit has also been extended to postgraduate courses when there is state interest.

The meeting in Santiago de Chile takes place less than six years before the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

When asked about the progress of the 2030 Agenda, Trujillo stated that each country has its own assessment, and the important thing is how much effort is being made in the region to get closer to the goals, although some may not be achieved as expected.