MPh. Irma González CarmenateMPh. Irma González Carmenate University of HavanaUniversity of HavanaMinistry of Higher EducationMinistry of Higher Education e-mail irmagglez@yahoo.ese-mail irmagglez@yahoo.es iglez@fisica.uh.cuiglez@fisica.uh.cu

THE CUBAN NATIONAL SYSTEMTHE CUBAN NATIONAL SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONOF EDUCATION

POLITICAL DIVISION OF CUBA

The Republic of Cuba has 14 provinces, 169 municipalities and one Special Municipality

The geography

The Cuban archipelago, is formed by the island of Cuba, the largest of the Antilles, and 4 195 keys and small islands.

Area: 110 992 km²

Cuba is a long and narrow island (1 200 km from east to west, the widest part is 210 km and the narrowest 32 km.

There are plains and 4 important mountain groups, and the highest point the Pico Turquino,

at 1 974 m above sea level.The landscapes are of diverse types and change from

semi-deserted to semitropical forest.The country has a high biodiversity and its ecosystems are

protected.

Flora and Fauna:

Rich and varied . Cuba has more than 300 protected areas approximately 22 % of the national territory with six named zones are reserves of Biosphere and protected by UNESCO. More than 50 %

of the flora and fauna is endemic.

Official language: Spanish

Population:

The density of population is 100,3 habitants / km2

Cuban Population Distribution

Havana City20%

Santiago de Cuba9%

Other Provinces

62% Holguin9%

Cuban Population

Live in cities75%

Live out cities25%

NATIONAL CUBAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

Half of the children of school age (800 000) didn’t go to the schools. More than 9 000 teachers were unemployed.

1961: THE CAMPAIGN OF LITERACY1961: THE CAMPAIGN OF LITERACY1 000 000 people learned to read and write.1 000 000 people learned to read and write.

Cuban Iliterate in 1953

Iliterate30%

Literate70%

Classrooms in 1953

Classrooms49%It were not

in existence51%

The National Cuban The National Cuban System of EducationSystem of Education

It Is designed in It Is designed in order to learn and order to learn and to form valuesto form values

All citizens have the All citizens have the responsibility to educate responsibility to educate othersothers

The education is The education is a right of all citizensa right of all citizens

Essential Topics of the Cuban educational model

1. The development of education through teaching and learning

2. The curriculum includes time for classes and time to work outside as a way to educate for life.

3.The University is integrated with society, preparing the future professional.

4. Integral Formation( values, general and professional culture)

Formation of values: The development of the feeling (development of thehuman values) and of the thought (the system of abilities)

. The subsystems of the national Cuban education system

PRE-SCHOOLPRE-SCHOOL PRIMARYPRIMARY SECONDARYSECONDARY SPECIAL SCHOOLSSPECIAL SCHOOLS EDUCATIONAL FORMATIONEDUCATIONAL FORMATION TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONALTECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL PRE-UNIVERSITYPRE-UNIVERSITY HIGHER EDUCATIONHIGHER EDUCATION ADULTADULT

there were 15 000 new classroomsWith 1000 000 students.

In 1961In 1961

In 2003In 2003 there were 2 386 000 students fromPre-scholar to pre-university

Students from Pre-school to Pre-university level (Course 2003-2004)

Lived at school16%

Lived at home84%

In 2004In 2004

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

Quanti

ty

1961 2003 2004

Course

Students and Teachers

Students Teachers and Professors

Habitants per Docent

37.89

21.78

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

2003 2004

Courses

Qu

an

tity

Fundamental principles that form the basis of the Cuban System of

Education.

The use of the PCIn all the subsystemsTo study Computing Educational software As a tool to study all the subjects

Looking to increase the level of the general integral culture

These are:

The use of the TV and video

Video-class: High qualityHigh quantity Contribute to consistency of teaching levelsCan be viewed by various audiences (students, adults)

No more than 20 pupils in a classroom

Assistant Teacher

The program EDUCATE YOUR CHILD

This is supported by

Publication of educational text-books increased considerably

6 500 PhD (1 PhD/1725 habitants)

Great development in Education.

There is one Educational Research Centre in each university

We have an intensive interaction with the educators in Latin America and with the other countries in the world.

In Cuba, the following events take place in alternate years: International event PEDAGOGIA (more than 5 000 foreign participants) International event UNIVERSIDAD (more than 1 300 university professors, Ministries of Education, etc)

Cuba receives many PhD and MPh students coming from foreign countries (2500) At the same time university professors work in different Universities of other Countries. There are Cuban programs of literacy in Haiti, Venezuela and other countries.

Register: 118 000 boys and girls.Developing in: 1124 nursery school in primary schools with the “Programme Educate your child” 100 000 assistants, 30% are relatives.

This is a social work

The 99,5% of the registration in the Primary school is covered with these three programmes.

PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

Course duration : 44 weeks

(3 weeks free)

CURRICULUM: (extra—classes activities)

ART

SPORT

RECREATIONAL

HISTORICAL

VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE

PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE

NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE BASED COMPETITION

NATIONAL SKILLS BASED COMPETITION

USE OF CLASSROOM MENTORS

PRIMARY SCHOOLTo develop the intelligence

Efficiency Indicators Attending school (2004): 849 000Attending school retention: 100%Presence: 98.7%Double session: 99.9%Individualized Attention: 1 professor/20 students

SECONDARY

Register: 474 392 students in 1 005 schoolsOne assistant professor and one professor in Computing/15 students individual attention meeting with the parents parents’ school social workers Student snacks are provided by the government: 65% 100% double session 33 000 retired professors came back to work in the new educational programmes Attendance: 98% (ill, mental disability, severe incapacity) 144 left their courses, all of them returned to complete the course. Courses repeated 6943 (0,1%) daily evaluation Work and learning are integrated.

It has been introduced:

Play chess (twice each week) Instructors of art (2 000 instructors) Increase to 5 times weekly for Mathematics, Spanish and History. Increase to 10 h/class of revision. 2240 videoconferences have been made in Mathematics, Spanish, History, Physics and English. 15 TV programmes with 7,5 transmission hours 41 types of educational software for students andteachers. TV: 31 educational programmes in 2 channels . 19,000 assistant teachers

SPECIAL LEARNING

428 schools26 Classrooms in hospitals or in houses There are 40 schools for difficult children.

100% of mental and physical disability boys and girls are attending schools including 252 “autistic”

99% who have graduated have a job.

PRE-UNIVERSITY

Work and learning are integrated 30 students in each group Using videoconferences

374 schools in the country Attending school: 610 000 (including assistant students)

POLYTECHNICS

Now articulated with High Level the use of TV, video, PC etc. is included

3

329

0

100

200

300

400

Qu

anti

ty

Year

Politechnic Institutes

1979

2004

Distribution of students by specialities

Education25%

Sports6%

Technician in Medicine

16%

Computing9%Art and

Other Specialities

44%

MEDICAL SCIENCES

68 166 students in 21 profiles: Dentist assistant Medical assistant Diploma in nursing Technician in health Psychology, etc.

705 off campuses teaching units, 75% study in off campuses teaching units (444 polyclinics + 52 hospital + 1 mother house)

Now:These are steps to reach the required level for university

Professors

University Staff75%

Part time Professors

25%

Institutes of Education

Since the 1st year they have worked as teachers in the school classrooms.

Each school is an off- campus learning environment 46% of schools have students working as teachers

Professors

Assistant Students

2%University

Staff13%

Part time Professors

85%

SPORT CAREER

Current course:Distribution of Campuses

Other Campuses

30%

Municipalities+Prisions

70%Professors

Professors68%

Ex Athlete32%

UNIVERSALIZATION OF HIGHER UNIVERSALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATIONEDUCATION

A process of changes and actions aimed at increasing possibilities and opportunities of access to university studies.

It contributes to the attainment of more equality and social justice in our society.

The universalization of higher education

CONCEPT OF THE NEW STAGE OF UNIVERSALIZATION

It is the extension of the main university processes to the entire

society, on a territorial basis, so as to attain

higher levels of equality and social justice and the

development of a general comprehensive culture of all culture of all

citizenscitizens..

HOW IS IT IMPLEMENTED?

Using existing facilities and other material resources in each municipality.Joining efforts and interests in eachlocality

Incorporating professionals as part-time professor

Creating University Campuses (SUM)

nationwide

FlexiblFlexibleeStructuredStructured

Student Student centredcentredWith systematic With systematic faceface

to face activities.to face activities.

The educational model

1. A system of face-to-face activities.

2.- Self-access study

3.- Information services.

The process of formation presents three main components

CUBAN HIGHER EDUCATION CUBAN HIGHER EDUCATION

University of HavanaUniversity of HavanaUH (1728)UH (1728)

Central UniversityCentral Universityof Las Villas of Las Villas UCLV (1952)UCLV (1952)

University of OrienteUniversity of Oriente (1947) (1947)

HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDHISTORICAL BACKGROUND

64 64 state universities state universities

938 938 campuses campuses

20042004

UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN CUBAEDUCATION IN CUBA

1959 1976 2003

3

28

64

Total enrolment: 15 609 83 957 300 000

Graduating women: 3%3% 37%37% 62%62%

General information about Cuban Higher Education

64 Universities 938 campuses, in all the Municipalities

Distribution of Students

In Campuses61%

Distance Learning

5%

At University34%

Professors

Part Time Professors

81%

Staff19%

General information....

The undergraduate programs: Are approved by the Ministry of Higher

Education Are implemented nationwide Are subordinate to different Ministries

depending on the field of study

Programmes subordinate to MES

Agricultural Sciences (5)

Natural Sciences and Mathematics (10) Social Sciences and Humanities (16) Technical Sciences and Architecture (14) Economics (3)

Programmes subordinate to other ministries

Medical Sciences (4 programmes; 5 universities) Educational Sciences (28 programmes; 16

universities) Arts (5 programmes; 1 university) Sports (1 programme; 2 universities) Design (2 programmes; 1 universities) Nuclear Sciences (4 programmes; 1 university)

There are also other programmes related to higher education military centres

What are the main characteristics of Cuban higher education?

Society and universities share the same interests

Universities work in close alliance with enterprises, organizations and other social institutions

The Ministry of Higher Education has full capacity of rallying and convening all universities towards common goals

The training of professionals in Cuba

Undergraduate education (5-year programmes with diploma thesis)

On-the-job training (2 years)

Postgraduate education

Different types of courses in undergraduate education

Regular courses (face to face): - Daytime (full time students): five years

- For workers (part time students): six years

Distance learning coursesNew social programmes

The educational model of Cuban higher education

Main feature:

Broad Profile

Which strikes a balance between general professional training and the training of

specialists

Broad Profile

Professionals with solid basic knowledge, capable

of solving the most frequent and general problems

in connection with the basic level of their work

Dimensions of the formation process

Instructional (knowledge and skills)

Educational (values)

Developmental (competences)

Principal ideas of the educational model

Unity between Education and Instruction

Link between Study and Work

Link between Study and Work in the curriculum

The corner stone of the entire Cuban system of education is the link between study and work. At university level, this link is expressed in the work-training component in the curriculum and is carried out in off-campus Teaching Units

Link of study and work….

About 1 500 or 2 000 hours in each curriculum (30 % )

More than 2 000 work places are in connection with the university

453 are “Off-campus Teaching Units” An academic discipline that integrates the

work component with the rest of the curriculum

General information about curriculum

Average time 5 700 hours

Distribution of curriculum activities

Lectures25%

Practical Activities

45%

Research Work30%

Disciplines (14) Subjects (60) Final Evaluation (28) Course Projects (6)Final Project or State Test (1)

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

Postgraduate Education System

Academic programs

SpecialtiesPhMPhD (2 levels)

Professional development

Courses

Graduate training

RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONRESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONIN HIGHER EDUCATIONIN HIGHER EDUCATION

It’s oriented to:

• The development of human resources

• The orientation of scientific research to satisfy the social, economic and cultural development needs of the country

• The use of international knowledge and technologies

• Generation of technologies

• Creation of high tech products as exports goods

• Collaboration with other countries

RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIONIN HIGHER EDUCATION

More than 50% of all research work in Cuba is developed and conducted in universities and their research centres.

100% of university faculty actively participate in national and local projects.

100% of senior students in undergraduate courses participate in curricular scientific research activities (52% in extracurricular.

15% of all the students enrolled in undergraduate courses belong to the movement of high-achievement students and take part in top-priority research work.

Cuban universities are increasingly turning into research centresCuban universities are increasingly turning into research centres