Early childhood education in Cuba

Childhood Education, 2002 by Miller, Susan A

"The family is like the legendary ocean from which beauty is born."

As we visited or spoke with colleagues and parents in hospitals, child care centers, schools, and teacher training programs, we saw or heard consistent evidence of meaningful linkages between families and educators.

These thought-provoking words from the revered 19th century Cuban patriot Jose Marti, whose statue is prominently displayed in all Cuban early childhood centers and primary schools, are quoted in every parents' handbook. These words reflect the value that Cubans place on the family's role in the education of children.

In March 2001, 1 led a delegation of 19 early childhood education delegates from the United States to Cuba through the People to People Ambassador Program. As we visited or spoke with colleagues and parents in hospitals, child care centers, schools, and teacher training programs, we saw or heard consistent evidence of meaningful linkages between families and educators, from the earliest stages of care through the university level.

In Cuba, there are four levels of early education: birth to 1 year of age, 2 to 3 years of age, 3 to 4 years of age, and 5 years of age. In the baby group there are usually two teachers and two assistants for 15 babies. By age 5, all Cuban children go to school. Licenciado Minerva Aquiro Gonzalez of the Ministry of Education explains that this subsystem of education helps to pave the way to develop the individual's personality.

Infants and Toddlers

At the Materidad "Eusebio Herendiz," one of nine maternity hospitals in Havana City, we spoke with medical personnel and grandmothers who were assisting the new mothers as they learned to care for their newborns. Although the hospital was very poorly equipped and maintained, the special pediatric nurses were highly trained and compassionate. They gave patients instructions on breastfeeding and answered individual questions during the 72-hour "rooming-in" period after the baby's birth. Family doctors provide prenatal care and continue to keep tabs on the family and monitor the baby's progress after the delivery. Fathers are invited to birthing classes so that they can be involved in the delivery process.

There are approximately 880,000 preschool-age children in Cuba. Seventy percent of these children do not attend child care programs, as their mothers do not work. These families do participate in an "informal ways" program, however, in which trained teachers visit families at their homes and show parents how to play games and suggest helpful ways to talk with their children. The teachers also discuss child development issues with the parents. As part of this program, teachers meet with small groups of parents to provide cultural and environmental training.

Presently, there are approximately 1,000 free, all-day, center-based child care programs in Cuba, providing care for 184,000 children. All centers follow the guidelines established in a pamphlet titled Education Preescolar, prepared by the Cuban government and printed with a UNICEF grant. There are three types of child care centers in Cuba: 17 percent of the nation's preschoolers attend programs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for five days a week while their parents work, children with special needs may attend a center for children with disabilities, and children with social problems may stay at a boarding school. As more and more parents join the work force, however, the capacity of these centers has become drastically inadequate. In addition, due to the scarcity of building materials, no new centers are being constructed. In an attempt to address this crisis, a national maternity leave policy was introduced in 1992. Now, a mother receives a paid maternity leave 3 months prior to and 3 months after the birth of her child. An additional unpaid 6 months of leave may be taken and mothers are guaranteed the right to return to their jobs.

Preschoolers

Our delegation enjoyed a wonderful visit to the Jardin Infantile de "Ville Grande" for 3- and 4-year-olds, located just outside of Havana. Here, 60 children in two classrooms were lovingly cared for by three teachers (another was on maternity leave), four assistants, and a nurse. Children attend this child care center daily. They may be visited at any time by their parents, who also help out at the child care center by repairing furniture, painting, and making toys. The school invites parents regularly to special activities, such as Children's and Pioneers' Day on April 4. These events are planned for early in the morning so that parents can take time off from work to attend.

When we arrived, the preschoolers were playing on a large outdoor playground that was divided into various areas: swings, a sandbox, tables with games and manipulatives, and a housekeeping corner. Numerous children were having fun playing in the housekeeping area; five children shared one baby doll! As the equipment was extremely limited, these imaginative preschoolers used chalk on the sidewalk to create delightful "furniture" for the doll's bedroom. In another section, children drew airplanes and flowers with chalk next to an interesting game, resembling hopscotch, that they had invented. Because toys are so difficult to obtain, the center's two balls were only brought out on special occasions. One of the teachers led a game in which the children identified geometric shapes in the outdoor environment. All in all, the teachers responded to the children with great warmth and encouraged positive interactions among the preschoolers.