Education in Cuba
| Budget | $2752 million CP ($246 CP per capita) |
|---|---|
| Primary languages | Spanish |
| Total | 100.0 |
| Male | 100.0 |
| Female | 100.0 |
Education in Cuba has been a highly ranked system for many years. The University of Havana was founded in 1727 and there are a number of other well-established colleges and universities. Following the 1959 revolution, the Castro administration nationalized all educational institutions, and created a system operated entirely by the government. Strong ideological content is present, with the constitution stating that educational and cultural policy is based on Marxist ideology. Education expenditures continue to receive high priority.
Cuba was colonized by Spain from the early 16th century until 1898, when the island was ceded to the United States following the Spanish–American War. The University of Havana, founded in 1727, is the oldest university in Cuba and one of the oldest in the American continent.
In 1900 Cuba had a literacy rate of 36.1% to 42% depending on the source, one of the highest among developing countries. By the early 1900s Cuba had a strong education system, but it was only attended by half of the country’s children. Schools were not accessible to the poorest Cubans and this resulted in a low literacy rate for rural areas compared to the cities. Before 1959, of the Cubans over the age of 15 years, 22% were found to be illiterate and 60% of the country was found to be semi-illiterate because many rural Cubans had a third-grade education or less.
Public Education in Cuba has always been free. After passing the required entrance examination to your particular course of study, even attendance at the University of Havana was tuition free, except for the cost of your books. After the Cuban Revolution, the new government placed the reconstruction of the education system along Marxist ideological lines as a top priority. Five key objectives were devised and used to frame Cuba's educational system. Many children who lived in distant rural areas were now able to acquire an education provided them by visiting teachers.
Following the basic restructuring and reopening of Cuban schools, the new government focused on the huge literacy problem. By April 1959, 817 literacy centers were opened and, to further reach out to all, teens and other volunteers were sent out to the countryside to teach their fellow Cubans how to read. The Literacy Campaign served two purposes: first, to educate every Cuban and teach them to read, then, to give those who live in the city a chance to experience rural living. In a short time Cuba’s new government made vast changes to the education system, and by 2000 97% of Cubans ages 15–24 were literate. Literacy provided poor uneducated Cubans a better standing in the country and the world. Education was vital to the new government. The leaders believed that for Cuba to be strong and for citizens to be active participants in society, they must be educated.
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