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Universal learning in Cuba (Part 1)

By LESLIE HUNT
HAVANA — The education of
the Cuban population under the
Mspiration and driving force of
Socialism, will surely take its place
in historic validity with Lenin’s
assertion in an interview with
H.G. Wells in 1920 that Soviet
Society would succeed with
Communism and electricity.
efore the revolution the
Cuban people were subjected to
planned ignorance. Education
Was used as an instrument of the
ruling-class oppressors. Illiteracy
was inflicted on one-third of the
Population against their will and
without their constent. Most
likely the rate was higher because
Most illiterates feel shame and are
often reluctant to admit to such a
Status.

Even so, the ability to read and

Hunt talks with one of the students
from other Caribbean countries
studying in Cuba.

write can scarcely qualify anyone
as educated to modern require-
ments.

That is why the Lenin Poly-
technical School near Havana,
and the School in the Countryside
concept, provide a remarkable
contrast with the past and offer
concrete evidence of Cuba’s pro-
gress in the field of education. But
a further glimpse of Cuban history
is needed for the comparison.

Cuba was aslave society and its
people suffered three centuries of
plundering and mistreatment by
the Spanish conquistadores, and
a fourth century of wage slavery
and peonage. At one period of his-
tory 70 per cent of the population
were African slaves or their de-
scendants.

The British, who were the in-
stigators and masters of this
nefarious slave trade, enforced
the dictum that no slave must be

_ allowededucation. They delivered

six million captured, African
Blacks to all the Caribbean and
Americas, including North
America.

According to Dr. W.E.B. Du
Bois, the noted historian, only
one in six survived, or even made
it across the high seas.

One Year to End Illiteracy

With typical revolutionary
Cuban innovation, Fidel and his
colleagues set out to rid Cuba of
ignorance and to abolish illiteracy
in one year. He had announced at
the United Nations that January
1, 1961 would begin the world’s
first mass assault to wipe out illit-
eracy. Under the slogan: “‘If you
don’t know, learn — If you do

- 100,000 youth led way

know, teach’’, the campaign
moved into high gear.

Once again, just as in the armed
struggle, the nation called upon its
youth to form brigades, this time
to go into the countryside with
pencils and grade one primers,
and teach all who were willing to
accept instruction. At the height
of the program 100,000 boys and
girls, some as young as 12, were
travelling to remote and scattered
towns and villages, teaching the
alphabet, elementary writing and
arithmetic to adults, old and
young, at the rate of one teacher
to two learners.

Constitutional Guarantees

The year-long campaign re-
sulted in 700,000 illiterates
achieving ‘a grade one standing.
All this in the year that the pre-
datory USA interrupted the
peaceful life of the Cubans with
the abortive Bay of Pigs invasion.

This was the beginning of an
ongoing adult education program
that in 25 years has brought the
entire population to a grade six
level. Today the cry is em-
bellished, to bring everybody to
the grade nine level, the present
compulsory level for all children.

Article 8 of the socialist con-
stitution of Cuba guarantees: 1)
“That no child be left without
schooling, food and clothing’’, 2)
“That no young person be left
without the opportunity to
study,’ and 3) ‘‘That no one be
left without access to studies, cul-
ture and sport’’. Activities in cul-
ture and sport are an integral part
of all educational institutions.

TRIBUNE PHOTOS — MAXINE ORRIS

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Students in the countryside get part of their

education and boost

the national economy working on farms and in light industry.

The literacy rate of Cuba as re-
ported by UNESCO, is 96 per
cent, compared to a pre-revo-
lutionary rate of 60 per cent. But
literacy rates do not tell the whole
story. :

Modern education requires an
absorption of a wide range of
knowledge, in mechanics, elec-
tronics, technology in agriculture,
construction, etc., and all
branches of social science.

The quality and quantity of well
educated working people is the
absolute guarantee that Cuba is
advancing rapidly from an
under-developed country to a
leading developed one.

The education system is based
on four levels, five if university
level is included: pre-schooling;

grades 1-6; grades 7, 8, 9; grades
105<14--12-

Cuba now spends 15-20 per
cent of its gross national product
on education. More than one-
third of the population is enrolled
in school or educational pursuits
— over three million people with
the services of 400,000 teachers.
Between 1970 and 1980, 1,525
new schools were built with ac-
commodation for 900,000 stu-
dents.

Leslie Hunt has returned to
Cuba to report developments in
the 25 years since January 1959
when he wrote of the triumphant
beginnings of the Cuban revo-
lution. Universal learning in
Cuba, is the second of a series
covering numerous facets of
Cuban life and progress.

In GDR peace is everyone’s business

PHOTO —ADN ©

I often hear some snarky remarks about the peace

movement in the German Democratic Republic. These
Tange from “‘Well, you must admit they can’t dem-
Onstrate like we do,” to the other variation, ‘‘We all

know the GDR peace movement is a creature of the
8Overnment.”’

Ido admit the GDR peace movement does not demon-

Strate like we do. In fact, their public turn-outs for peace
are measured in millions, while ours are counted in
thousands. Aside from their May Day demonstrations,
which feature peace banners and slogans, and involve
virtually every man,’ woman and child, the two big
demonstrations at Whitsun and World Peace Day are
mammoth affairs. The former follows Easter and is usu-
ally in May, the latter is on September 1 and marks the
ginning of World War Two.

Public demonstrations are part of the rich tradition of

the German working-class. Participation, rather than
decreasing, is increasing steadily. I took part in the

| i |

From the GDR

Jim Tester

march to commemorate Rosa Luxemburg and Karl
Liebknecht in Berlin on Sunday, January 15 this year.
Some 250,000 people, with banners flying for peace,
went past the reviewing stand of trade unionists, public
leaders and government officials. The rapport between
waving Erich Honecker and the good-natured marchers
was obvious. This was no formal, forced affair. People
were there because of conviction and respect.

Even the wet, snowy weather didn’t dampen spirits.
Marches in memory of Luxemburg and Liebknecht have
been taking place, annually, ever since the two were
murdered in 1919, following the defeat of the Berlin
workers’ revolt. So revered is their memory that even
during the pre-war period the Hitlerites dared not inter-
fere with the demonstrations.

How does one answer the second snarky charge? I
met with three leading members of the GDR Peace
Council: vice-president Deba Wieland, Rita Pawlowski
from the National Committee of the Women’s Fed-
eration, Rainer Viererbe from the National Committee
of the Christian Democratic Union. ;

They told me the GDR Peace Council is a council in
the true sense. Consisting of some 300 people, it is for the
most part a delegate body which represents all the mass
public organizations in the country. These include
unions, women’s and youth organizations. While
churches are not directly affiliated, many church leaders
are active as individuals, in full co-operation with the
Council. 3

The GDR Peace Council is in full session twice a year.
The National Executive meets three times a year. Coun-
cil members are active within their own organizations, as
well as speaking at numerous public meetings. School
children are addressed and encouraged to write letters to
their members of parliament and government officials,
expressing their concerns.

Their aim is to involve millions of ordinary citizens in
peace activities. Last year this resulted in some six mil-
lion participating in the Whitsun demonstrations. Lately,
artists, doctors and scientists have been particularly ac-
tive, with many of them talking to huge public meetings
and expressing their worry about the future of mankind.

I was told that nearly all the members of the GDR
Peace Council are unpaid, voluntary workers for peace.
However, there is a full-time staff of some 50 persons,
who do organizational and technical work.

In the GDR it is generally agreed the most important
political question is the maintenance of peace. The or-
ganized peace movement, as led by the GDR Peace
Council, developed as part of the anti-fascist alliance.
The so-called ‘‘independent’’ peace movement, which
has ties with the west, only represents a small minority of
dissidents. It mainly exists only in the minds of anti-
socialist intriguers inside and outside the country.

I also talked to two leaders of the GDR Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Dr. Walter Krutzsch and Friedemann
Hocker, who are responsible for the disarmament work
of the GDR in the United Nations. They told me of the
many initiatives by their country in the UN and of their
working relations with other countries, particularly the
socialist nations. They stressed the responsiveness of

their government to the people’s concerns about peace.

I came to the startling conclusion that rather than the
peace movement being a creature of the government, the
government was a creature of the peace movement.
That’s a switch. What peace worker wound’t welcome
that?

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 4, 1984 ¢ 9