University access in any of the three modes of undergraduate study (daytime courses, courses for workers and distance learning courses) remains a subject of much interest to students finishing high school and their families.
This situation is not unknown to officials at the Ministry of Higher Education as, beyond individual aspirations, it is closely linked to the demand for professionals for the future development of the country.
Today, encouraging entry into “cursos por encuentro” - courses scheduled on weekends or evenings, for workers or adults seeking to continue their education - as well as distance learning courses, is a strategic priority. Those entering these modes of study are expected to help meet the demand for economic, technical and agricultural professionals.
“It is a necessity for the country that we generate higher enrolment rates and more graduates in these fields,” Dr. Rodolfo Alarcón Ortiz, minister of Higher Education, told reporters.
Given this reality, and in order to facilitate access to university courses, the Management Council of the Ministry of Higher Education (MES) decided to remove entrance exams for these modes of study, with the areas covered in the entrance exams included in the first year of the course itself.
“These requirements,” the Minister explained, “will be met as part of the course curriculum and all the standards that exist for Higher Education will apply.”
In other words: in order to enroll in distance learning and “encuentro” courses, prospective students will no longer have to pass the traditional entrance exams in Mathematics, Spanish and Cuban History, but must pass these within the first year of their studies.
BETTER PREPARED INCOMING STUDENTS
The MES is seeking to ensure quantitative and qualitative improvements in the pedagogical disciplines. As such, those students who win medals in national and provincial educational competitions will be able to enroll in a pedagogical degree course of their choice, without having to take entrance exams.
“This will benefit the best graduates from middle-level pedagogical schools,” Sánchez Díaz noted, adding, “With this move we will also qualitatively benefit, as these are young people who are already engaged in teaching careers and we are providing them with an incentive.”
Another new aspect is that students completing their pre-university level education within a university will not be required to take entrance exams for pedagogical degree courses, should they wish to study this specialty.
UNIVERSITY TRULY FOR ALL
To state that access to education in Cuba – from elementary level to higher education – is a right, are not empty words. Admission to the regular undergraduate daytime course only requires having completed 12th grade and passing the entrance exams in Mathematics, Spanish and Cuban History.
The other modes of university study - “encuentro” and distance learning courses - are open with no age limit to women who work in the home, the self-employed and state workers, as well as people without employment who are interested in continuing their education.
The years since the triumph of the Revolution have confirmed the important contribution of these programs of study to training professionals: almost half of university graduates in the country today undertook the “cursos por encuentro”.
The 2016 – 2017 academic year will see this situation continue, as those interested will have the opportunity to directly enroll in the different degree courses offered by universities in these study modes.
