INDEPENDENT ACADEMICS LABEL CUBA'S EDUCATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 001056

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CCA, DRL A/AS FOR JONATHAN FARRAR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2017
TAGS: CU PGOV PHUM PINR PREL
SUBJECT: INDEPENDENT ACADEMICS LABEL CUBA'S EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM A FAILURE

REF: HAVANA 1029

HAVANA 00001056 001.5 OF 002


Classified By: COM: Michael E. Parmly: For reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (C) SUMMARY: On 3 November 72 independent academics
from all parts of Cuba attended a conference organized by
Roberto de Miranda in his home in central Havana. They
discussed all aspects of the state education system. The
teachers and professors concluded that despite the
government's commitment to universal free and public
education, the system has been a colossal failure. They
cited as the largest problems the low pay and poor training
for teachers and the fact that the system emphasizes
political indoctrination at the expense of academic
achievement. The attendees agreed to continue to advocate
vigorously for educational reform in Cuba. End Summary.



2. (C) Roberto de Miranda, founder of the first independent
library and Cuba and one of the 75 dissidents arrested in the
crackdown of 2003, has long been a champion of professors and
teachers fired for political reasons. He organized on 3
November an all day conference at his house of independent
academics because he believes that a thorough reform of the
educational system is essential for the success any
transition to democracy. He was able to attract 72 academics
representing every part of the island. Participants
represented a broad spectrum of points of view, including a
number of people who were not involved in specific political
activity but had run afoul of the regime for pursuing lines
of inquiry that the regime considers embarrassing.



3. (C) Four working groups were established dealing with
primary education, secondary and vocational education, higher
education and special education. Each group covered a broad
range of topics including teacher education, rural education
and education in the arts. Throughout the day there was
lively debate, but a consensus emerged on the main defects of
the present system.



4. (C) Many expressed that due to the low salaries the
government has not been able to recruit or retain an adequate
number of trained and motivated teachers. Jose Manuel de la
Rosa Perez of Santiago de Cuba presented a series of
statistics that nearly 90% of the country's educators were
living in poverty, 16% 0f those in extreme poverty.
Participants told many stories of teachers leaving the
profession to work menial jobs. From all over the country
people presented cases of schools filled with unmotivated
teachers who had no knowledge of teaching techniques and no
skill in dealing with children.



5. (C) Several teachers also spoke about the many
dilapidated school buildings and the lack of basic materials
such as pens and notebooks. Throughout the country high
school science labs have little or no equipment. Elcida Ines
Cuba from Sancti Spiritus stated that while some poor
countries have made it a priority to make students computer
literate, Cuba not only lacks resources but the government
fears high technology and does not want the population to
access outside information. Elcida also stated that in
Sancti Spiritus at least 1000 local students have been
refused places in the medical school to make room for
foreigners, mainly Venezuelans and Mexicans.



6. (C) A frequent theme was how the government places
emphasis on political indoctrination rather than the
acquisition of knowledge. Political activity and military
style training consume a good part of the school day.
Although the regime has showcased its achievements in
providing free and universal education, Professor Juan Carlos
Blamenti Valladares stated that the results have been a vast
mediocrity. University admission is more the result of
participation in political activities rather than scholastic

HAVANA 00001056 002.2 OF 002


achievement. Roberto de Miranda has a list of over 300
teachers and professors, many with excellent credentials,
fired from their position for either political reasons or the
display of independent thinking. Many promising students
have been expelled from university solely out of political
reasons. One of these expelled students Yuri Perez is trying
to get UNESCO to condemn Cuba for the practice of expelling
teachers and students for political motives. Overall
participants in the conference very much wanted international
recognition of the persecution of teachers and students in
Cuba for their ideas.



5. (C) Another common theme was the failure of the socialist
government to create "the new man". Many commented that the
younger generation is largely embittered, cynical and lacking
in a basic sense of ethics. In all the panels there was a
discussion of trying to integrate an education in values into
the system. Many proposed pressuring the authorities to
allow the Catholic Church to reopen its schools, and other
religious groups to be able to establish private schools.



6. (C) Ludis Rodriguez Dias and Martha Rivas, two people
who were going to the conference from Mazanillo, were stopped
by state security agents in Camaguey and sent home. Three
police cars were parked in front of De Miranda's home for a
week before the conference. However, in no other instances
did police harass or confront participants of the conference.



7. (C) Comment and Action Recommended: This is a
significant example of a grassroots effort organized by
Cubans to lay the groundwork for democratic reform. The
group stated that they were confidant that Cuban parents
valued education and that there is widespread support for
their efforts. They also appear emboldened by the lack of
hard repression on the part of the security forces in dealing
with some recent protests. At this point the participants
hope that they can raise awareness in the international
community of the grave problems in the Cuban educational
system. We believe this is precisely the type of effort we
should be supporting with tools like internet access and
scholarship offers mentioned by the President in his Oct. 24
speech.


PARMLY