World News
Schools reopen across Cuba amid worsening fuel, water, and electricity shortages
Over 1.4 million children returned to class despite a severe lack of teachers, food, and basic materials.
The short version
- More than 10,000 schools reopened across Cuba for the new academic year, following a premature closure of the previous term in June due to compounding national crises.
- The island's education system is struggling with an acute shortage of teachers, supplies, and uniforms, leading officials to appeal to retirees and university students to help fill classroom vacancies.
- Families are bearing unprecedented burdens, with parents having to supply meals and transport themselves, while students carry rechargeable fans to cope with persistent daily power outages.
Key facts
- More than 10,000 Cuban schools opened on Tuesday, welcoming an estimated 1.4 million children and over 135,000 teachers.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Teacher coverage across the island has fallen to 73% due to low salaries and emigration, prompting the government to relocate 3,000 teachers from eastern provinces to Havana and appeal to retirees and students to volunteer.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Primary-level school uniforms met only 12% of national demand because domestic textile workshops lack electricity and fuel, and the country faces import and funding limitations.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Some schools have reported having only a 15-day supply of food, leaving parents and the private sector to help source and provide daily student meals.[ABC News · Associated Press]
- Frequent power outages of more than 20 hours a day have forced students to bring their own portable, rechargeable fans to cope with classroom temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Sources
- Schools reopen across Cuba as fuel, water and power shortages persistAssociated Press
- Schools reopen across Cuba as fuel, water and power shortages persistABC News - Business