3 minute read
Solidarity with Cuba
Supporting education, resisting the blockade
“The US blockade is the biggest obstacle to the development of education services in Cuba. While we manage to achieve a lot with the resources we have, we know that we could do so much better without the blockade. It stops us from being able to buy much-needed resources for our schools and our teachers. “I know that the NEU and Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) are raising funds for a container appeal for educational resources and my union is very grateful for such much-needed solidarity at this time.”
Niurka María González Orberá, secretario general, SNTECD
NEU president Daniel Kebede calls on members to support Viva La Educación, a new appeal for educational aid for Cuba.
IF you’ve had the opportunity to visit Cuban schools you will know about the challenges facing educators.
So it’s fantastic the NEU has set up Viva La Educación – a year-long project to raise funds for essential classroom and teaching equipment to be shipped to Cuban schools in 2022/23.
This appeal, which was launched at an online meeting hosted by the NEU on 1 February, aims to support pupils and teachers in Cuba by providing educational resources which are in short supply due to the 60-year-old US blockade.
Cuba has some of the best education indicators in Latin America. Its achievements in literacy and further education compare well with others in the region. However, students and teachers often have to make do without many of the basic necessities that we take for granted.
Although Cuba spends more of its GDP on education (10 per cent in 2015) than many other nations, the cruel US blockade of the island means that many items are either not accessible or are more expensive due to increased transportation costs.
Pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, school bags and sports equipment are just some of the items that are scarce in Cuban schools. Teachers also face difficulties obtaining resources to help them plan, teach and share lessons.
Like many NEU members, I have heard about these challenges first-hand from Cuban teachers’ representatives when they have visited NEU national conferences in the past.
Many of our members have also had the opportunity to witness them in person. Daisy Maxwell, a London teacher and NEU activist, took part in the 2018 October halfterm delegation to Cuba and said: “Despite all of the amazing things we saw, the impact of the blockade was inescapable; it was there, right in front of your face… all schools were desperately short of resources.”
Support the appeal
I hope your NEU branch and district will support Viva La Educación. You can help by donating to the project directly and organising fundraising and awareness raising events. The NEU international department and the Cuba Solidarity Campaign are happy to assist with any activities you organise, to present details of the project to NEU members at meetings and provide leaflets and resources.
Money raised will be used to purchase and send resources in shipping containers to Cuban schools. It is also worth contacting the appeal if you have access to large quantities of educational materials, or relationships with suppliers who may be able to help access the equipment needed. A full list of needs are provided on the campaign website (below).
Viva la Educación is a joint initiative of the NEU, CSC, Music Fund for Cuba and Cuba’s education union (SNTECD). It builds on previous successful appeals, including Play for Cuba, which shipped two 40ft containers with more than 8,000 musical instruments to Cuba in 2019, and the Braille Machines for Cuba appeal, which has delivered more than 45 machines for blind and visually impaired pupils.
Making a donation
n Send a cheque, payable to CSC (Viva Educacion), to:
CSC, 33-37 Moreland Street, London, EC1V 8BB
n To donate by credit/debit card or bank transfer, call 020 7490 5715 or email
office@vivaeducacion.org.uk
n For more information, visit
