Cuba - School Visit
We stopped at a local primary
school in a small Cuban town in Granma province and were treated to a
tour of the facility. Of course, being summer holidays, classes
were not being conducted in school at the time of our visit. But
we learned that this school has a student population of approximately
650 students and a teaching staff of 48 teachers plus 48 assistants and
cooks, etc. Students at this school range from 5 years old
through 6th grade.
Schools in Cuba typically have a 20:1 student/teacher ratio, with
classes starting at 7:40 a.m. and runing until 4 p.m., with morning and
afternoon snacks provided. Cuba has set high national standards
for education and these apply to all schools on the island. Each
municipality has one Special Needs school. The typical
school day at this school includes essential subjects such as
Mathematics and Science in the morning and in the afternoon Music and
Computer Education.
The first day of school each year is a big celebration... in all
schools in Cuba. Sort of a big "Welcome Back" party and new 5
year old students are treated especially well. School always
starts on September 1st. And any sort of physical punishment is
strictly forbidden in Cuban schools.
Click on images below to ENLARGE:
