The third round of efforts to perfect the national education system is rooted in the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines of Party and Revolution. This process was initially undertaken on an experimental basis in six of the country’s provinces, before being extended to all municipal capitals in 2017.
Regarding the importance of these efforts, Dr. Alberto Valle Lima, director of Pedagogical Sciences Center at the Central Institute of Pedagogical Sciences noted:
“There are great changes happening in general in society, above all economic and social changes, and education must rise to the occasion, it must be ready to diversify its offerings and contribute to strengthening the political-ideological education of our youth.
“This third reform process is also important given the need to improve our centers and training of directors in terms of their pedagogical development.”
This process has been undertaken – on an experimental basis – in 68 schools over the last three years, and as of last September, is being implemented in 152 facilities - one for every educational level - in municipal capitals across the entire country.
FOR A MORE ENJOYABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
A new feature of this third round of efforts is the implementation of a general and institutional curriculum for all schools nationwide, which will be drawn up by each facility itself.
“The institutional curriculum,” according to Dr. Valle Lima, “will be drawn up by the teaching institution, whether it is a kindergarten, school, adult learning center, or polytechnic institute, based on its capacity, staff, students, parents, community, and local institutions.
“Important to this are agreements that can be established with local institutions and the support People’s Power bodies can offer to the work of the education sector.”
To date Cuban schools have featured career guidance groups, scientific societies, and work around local historical sites and monuments, however the new institutional plan includes some novel elements:
“Now we are including other types of activities such as complementary programs, technical and social projects, which will in some way contribute to diversifying activities in the institutional curriculum, in order to make school a more enjoyable place for students. We must look at students’ interests and strike a balance between them and the capacity of the institution and the community.”
NEW PLANS & PROGRAMS
Another component of the reform process is the elaboration of new study programs for four grade levels, including for children one, two, and four years of age in early childhood education; first and fourth grade at an elementary level; seventh (middle school) and 10th grade (higher secondary level).
“We already have plans for these grades, methodological guidance tools, and text and work books which are being used experimentally in selected schools, not the entire country.
“We are developing plans for the second group of grades which will be implemented next. In terms of early childhood we are working on plans for children aged three, six, and seven; and in the case of primary, secondary, and pre-university education: second, fifth, eighth, and eleventh grade.
According to the director, provisional text books are being developed.
“The aim is to try them out during the process and see what results we get in order to improve these materials and in turn create - after they have been revised and re-drafted - a final version for the entire country.”
Such materials are set to be utilized nationwide during the 2020-2012 academic year. However, before they are used in all schools around the country, they must first be submitted to the Institute of Pedagogical Sciences’ sub-committee of experts for Plans and Programs, and approved by the Ministry of Education, after which they will be sent to print.
Previous improvement processes
- 1975 – 1976: Establishment of the national education system
- 1980s: Study plans, programs and text books updated and contextualized.
Important changes
- General changes: experimental processes have been an important feature in the most recent round of efforts to perfect the national education system, with modifications implemented gradually and in accordance with the national context.
- Changes to work methods: a general study plan is being provisionally implemented in schools in order to ensure continuity across the education system, as well as an institutional one, drawn up by each individual facility.
