Higher Education in Cuba: A Vision (Part 2)

Higher Education in Cuba: A Vision (Part 2) / Somos+
Posted on January 11, 2016

Somos+, Rolby Milian, 6 January 2016 — So I begin this second part of my
comments remembering the announcement, this past September 6, 7 and 8,
through the media of propaganda and creation of the Roundtable
excitement, of new "innovative measures" in higher education.

The measures were announced and explained by the Minister himself,
Rodolfo Alarcón Ortiz and a government team. It's worth pointing out,
that among other ideas presented by these gentlemen, is the legal
reestablishment for the continuing training of professionals, the
creation of a new educational level ("non-university higher education"),
the requirement of English in order to graduate and the gradual
reduction of the length of degree courses to four years.

Now, to questions raised with respect to this, they had treasures of
linguistic escapism, like: "…these measures are very novel, and right
now we can't exactly explain all the changes they imply…." or "…we still
haven't had meetings to decide how we are going to organize access to
the courses."

What I particularly think is that these measures are a propaganda
spectacle about a project that is still in a beginning phase. A typical
strategy of the Government to alleviate pressure, deflect attention and
pretend that it's doing something before a crisis of great proportions,
like higher education in Cuba (for example, the touted Law of State
Businesses, that supposedly will come out in 2017).

From the foregoing I can deduce that right now the Government has no
truly solid, concise and intelligent plan to begin solving the multiple
problems of higher education in our country.

On the other hand, none of these "measures" match up with the supposed
present politics of the Government with respect to the creation of
businesses and the increase in private initiatives, in the sense of not
mentioning adjustments in the matters of marketing and business
management in the related courses of study nor the creation of new
disciplines for the training of professionals specializing in this
sector (business administration, for example).

With all this it's difficult not to ask: Are our youth really prepared
for a future of economic opening and the creation and development of
businesses, with all the logistic and structural support that implies?

My present opinion is no. Youth in Cuba are not ready to efficiently
confront an economic opening to the world. Nor does the Government
intend to facilitate improvement in the educational system in this
sense; in fact, it seems to not even be contemplating this scenario (nor
one in which citizens freely participate in any constructive project for
the country).

Having arrived at this point, one can look with horror at the future of
Cuba, given that the present Government doesn't offer objective
solutions, nor do they listen to proposals that don't come from their
own fiefdom. Which makes me sure that they have no real interest in the
education of Cubans. They don't take it into account or they pretend to
ignore reality with respect to the preparation of our professionals, and
they ignore the opinions of the student body for creation of their
"plans and measures."

We believe that a packet of emergency measures for the recovery and
restructuring of our higher education should be passed, first for the
realistic identification of absolutely all the problems, including
opinions and proposals from our students.

In addition, there should be no restrictions on absolute freedom of
teaching and learning in every one of the institutions and for students,
presenting real opportunities for all citizens to have access to higher
studies, through an efficient system of vocational training, admission
and retention.

Translated by Regina Anavy

Source: Higher Education in Cuba: A Vision (Part 2) / Somos+ |
Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/higher-education-in-cuba-a-vision-part-2-somos/