Cuba Solidarity Campaign Education Study Tour to Cuba. June 2011
It's hard to know where to start writing about this amazing trip. We'd always longed to go to Cuba so we couldn't pass up on this wonderful opportunity to see Cuba, visit schools, meet teachers, trade unionists, education workers, children, like minded people and so much more.........
waterfront Havana
We spent a week visiting primary, secondary, special and music schools, urban and rural and were made so welcome by the staff and pupils.
We visited the Museum of Literacy where we learnt about the thousands of men , women and children who were sent out to the countryside to teach thousands of illiterate Cubans to read in 1961. That's why today Cuba has over 99% of people who can read and write. It made me quite emotional to see a film of these people , some now in their 70s, talking about the change it had made to their lives to be able to help someone to read.
As a former primary teacher, I was overcome by the amount of time and energy put into education by all...... I could write loads about the things we learnt and even if only a few things were taken on board by our system, what a change it would be. Yes, they have a national curriculum, yes, everyone has a uniform but the whole ethos is that of the development of the whole child so all their needs are considered in order to develop a programme for that child and everyone contributes to that development- doctors, parents, teachers, nutritionalists, psychologists.......
You can get around by bicycle taxi - there are some on every corner and there are buses, though they tend to be very busy. I was very taken with the car sharing- people stand by the road and drivers simply pull over to give them a lift......
We travelled to Pinar del Rio to visit a rural school, a cigar factory and a bottling plant. The mountain scenery is wonderful but it was strange to drive past pairs of oxen ploughing fields. We ate the produce everwhere we went. You couldn't tire of fresh mango and juice, fresh guava. melon and my favourite, pineapple. We ate lots of fish, chicken and pork with rice and peas but to Pete's delight, there was a plentiful supply of lobster! ( not expensive by our prices either)
We were given sunflowers.
It's hard to know where to start writing about this amazing trip. We'd always longed to go to Cuba so we couldn't pass up on this wonderful opportunity to see Cuba, visit schools, meet teachers, trade unionists, education workers, children, like minded people and so much more.........
waterfront Havana
We visited the Museum of Literacy where we learnt about the thousands of men , women and children who were sent out to the countryside to teach thousands of illiterate Cubans to read in 1961. That's why today Cuba has over 99% of people who can read and write. It made me quite emotional to see a film of these people , some now in their 70s, talking about the change it had made to their lives to be able to help someone to read.
As a former primary teacher, I was overcome by the amount of time and energy put into education by all...... I could write loads about the things we learnt and even if only a few things were taken on board by our system, what a change it would be. Yes, they have a national curriculum, yes, everyone has a uniform but the whole ethos is that of the development of the whole child so all their needs are considered in order to develop a programme for that child and everyone contributes to that development- doctors, parents, teachers, nutritionalists, psychologists.......
Havana city is quite a place! There are fantastic buildings, some in a crumbling state but everywhere you look there are things of architectural interest. There's so much to see too....the vehicles for one! It looks like time stood still there when it comes to cars.
You can get around by bicycle taxi - there are some on every corner and there are buses, though they tend to be very busy. I was very taken with the car sharing- people stand by the road and drivers simply pull over to give them a lift......
We travelled to Pinar del Rio to visit a rural school, a cigar factory and a bottling plant. The mountain scenery is wonderful but it was strange to drive past pairs of oxen ploughing fields. We ate the produce everwhere we went. You couldn't tire of fresh mango and juice, fresh guava. melon and my favourite, pineapple. We ate lots of fish, chicken and pork with rice and peas but to Pete's delight, there was a plentiful supply of lobster! ( not expensive by our prices either)
We met so many good people and made new friends. I think for me, the best visit was to the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution. (CDR) in Pinar del Rio. Reading the programme, I think I expected a round the table evening meeting with people explaining the role of the the CDR. What a surprise I got when the bus pulled up on a housing estate and we went between two blocks of flats to be greeted by children and adults singing and clapping a welcome. What a night! It was absolutely fantastic!
We were given sunflowers.
It was like an enormous street party. We were given coconut juice- still in the coconut, fruit, cake all sorts of treats and then there was a concert. It was sad to leave the party but I will never forget the welcome, the happiness and the solidarity.
The whole tour was made possible by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and their website is very informative should you wish to know more about this amazing place.
I have to thank Bernard and Carole Regan of CSC for making the trip so fantastic- their knowledge and experience made it so easy for us to have a good time, learn loads without any worries, thanks so much !
And the last thanks go to the other group members- I'm so happy to have met you all and I hope that we stay in touch.x
