"Decoding" the leading education system in Latin America.

SGGPO 20/09/2023 14:03

Cuba not only tops the list of Latin American countries in investment in education but also holds the number one ranking for investment as a percentage of GDP according to the World Bank's 2009-2013 rankings. Today, despite many economic difficulties, Cuba is still considered to have a world-class education system, with a level of development comparable to advanced education systems such as Finland, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Canada.

"If you know, teach; if you don't know, learn."

Education has always been a top priority for the Cuban government since the success of the revolution in 1959, because before the revolution, more than half of Cuban children did not attend school and over 1 million people were illiterate.

With the motto "If you know, teach; if you don't know, learn," Cuba mobilized nearly 300,000 students and adult volunteers to go to rural areas to teach the poor. In just about three years, the literacy rate in Cuba reached 97%.

A classroom in Cuba. Source: OnCuba

On December 22, 1961, speaking to the crowd in Revolution Square in Havana, President Fidel Castro declared Cuba a "livive-free" territory. This date was also chosen as the annual Teachers' Day in Cuba.

Experts believe that Cuba's educational success stems from the revolutionary government's free education system. In Cuba, every child begins school completely free of charge at the age of five. Universal education is provided to all children from the age of six until the end of basic secondary school (usually age 15). Education, including higher education, is free for all Cuban citizens, regardless of wealth or social class.

After completing the 9th grade, students can choose to continue their education or enter the workforce. Cuban students are very eager to learn. Students who graduate from preparatory schools are eligible for free university education. In many rural areas, students attend boarding schools. At these schools, in addition to their studies, students participate in agricultural work or other jobs.

Commenting on Cuba's education system, Dan Domenech, CEO of the American Association of School Principals (AASA), affirmed: "Cuba has a comprehensive education system for children!"

A global medical training center.

A recent World Bank report asserts that "apart from Cuba, no other school system in Latin America meets global standards." Cuba, in particular, has considered "education a top priority since 1959 (the year of the successful revolution), with an effective education system."

The World Bank report also confirmed that no country in Latin America has a teaching staff that meets world-class standards, except for Cuba!

Today, when people around the world think of Cuba, they immediately think of a country with a world-leading healthcare system, in which the core "nucleus" is its people.

Medical staff administer COVID-19 vaccines to residents in Havana, Cuba. Photo: VNA.

Cuba has a network of 13 universities across the country that provide medical education through a unique preventive healthcare model. Since 1999, Cuba's Havana Latin American Medical School has provided free education, including tuition, textbooks, accommodation, meals, and a stipend, to 35,000 doctors from approximately 140 countries.

This country is committed to training doctors who are ready to save lives and improve the health of many people both domestically and internationally. Many countries around the world are learning from this model of integrating theory and practice with a community-based approach, including developed countries like the US and the EU.

Furthermore, Cuba has also intensified its medical training exchanges with other countries. Approximately 2,500 trainees from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America have enrolled in 43 specialized courses offered by the country's Ministry of Public Health.

Cuba is also renowned for its "medical exports." Despite pressure from the US embargo, the Cuban healthcare sector has made significant progress. As the Covid-19 pandemic spread globally, this Caribbean island nation undertook the mission of providing medical assistance to 19 countries fighting the disease, demonstrating soft power through medical diplomacy.

According to the Times, the Cuban government's deployment of healthcare professionals abroad generates approximately $11 billion annually – more than the tourism industry. Currently, there are around 50,000 Cuban doctors working in 67 countries across all continents.

Cuban Ambassador: "We hope to see more Cuban doctors come to Vietnam."

Professor Jusús de los Santos Renó Céspedes, a leading expert in oncology in Cuba, examines patients at the Oncology Department of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in Dong Hoi. Photo: VNA.

In early 2023, speaking to the press in Vietnam, Mr. Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cuba to Vietnam, shared his hopes and expectations for future cooperation in the healthcare sector between Vietnam and Cuba.

Regarding cooperation in the healthcare sector in general between Vietnam and Cuba, the ambassador stated that there is great potential for future development. We also very much hope that the achievements Cuba has made in the healthcare field will be applied and bring benefits to the people of Vietnam.

"We hope that more Cuban doctors will come to work in Vietnamese hospitals, and that more Cuban medicines will reach Vietnam to treat the people's illnesses," he said.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/giai-ma-nen-giao-duc-dung-dau-my-latinh-post706307.html