A school year that comes to its end is the end of a notebook in which, for 10 months, all kinds of adventures were written, with pencils, crayons... and, above all, with study and perseverance. These days, that notebook is temporarily closed and its pages contain the best memories and knowledge. This is the case in these parts, where the education sector bids farewell to the teaching calendar with several challenges, but also with many successes.

For Erica, learning about historical events, their circumstances, and their repercussions was a journey that began in primary school. Now, as she says goodbye to sixth grade at the Toma de Las Tunas boarding school, she is reaping the rewards of consciously studying history, as she has become one of the best students in the subject.

"I used the books for the subject and enjoyed every single class to the full. For several weeks, I studied Marti's work in depth, which is very interesting and beautiful. In addition, my teacher always helps me," the pioneer told 26.

Like her, more than 76,000 students from all over the province will enjoy their holidays, and the 668 schools in the territory will be ready to welcome them back in September. Several directors, in declarations to our media, highlighted that all the schools have remained open and fulfilled most of the purposes with decent results, in the current context of the strong economic crisis in the country. They agreed that this achievement demonstrates the priority that the Revolution gives to education and allows us to predict better results in the next stage.

MORE THAN KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION FOR LIFE

The teachers from Las Tunas are eternally dissatisfied because ‘it is not enough to prepare the children in science, mathematics or history,’ says Mayelín, a teacher who has taught primary education in Las Tunas for almost 30 years. ‘In addition to the daily learning achievements and the continuity of studies, we must increasingly focus on preparing them for life; we must work to give society good people, with a sense of ethics and responsibility.

"At the preparatory seminar for the next school year, we assessed the issues that still need to be emphasized. Among them is the strengthening of actions to contribute to the political-ideological development of the student body," says Magloiris Turruelles López, who is in charge of Basic Secondary Education in the Provincial Directorate of Education (DPE in Spanish).

"The school is the center of all educational influences, thus it must ensure education, not only with teachers and professors but also with the family and other people in the community who can contribute knowledge to the learners. The methodological approach ensures that teachers are prepared to deal with the individual differences of those pupils who do not achieve certain objectives. The main thing is to ensure that the children achieve good results during the teaching stage, although we are not satisfied with what has been achieved in this final year," explains the director.

One of the main indicators they have been monitoring is teenage pregnancy, as Las Tunas is recognized as one of the provinces with the highest rates of this health problem. "From the potential that exists in each of the schools, we work together with the health areas, on how to prevent early pregnancy, not only with adolescents but also with the family so that they adopt certain positive behaviors towards their children."

Another issue they look at, from a multidisciplinary approach, is the consumption of toxic and harmful substances, specifically drugs. "The schools carry out prevention workshops and complementary activities aimed at preventing any kind of interference by minors, and they are reminded of the zero tolerance that the different educational centers and society, in general, maintain towards this scourge," says Magloiris.

The 2024-2025 course will forge a strategy of 6 objectives, 9 processes, and more than 100 indicators to deliver. Teachers aim to develop quality education processes based on a commitment to the homeland. "First of all, we need to do everything from a perspective of inclusion and equity; we need to advocate for communication, research, science, and technology. It is essential to educate from patriotic, civic, and humanist ideals," says Juan Carlos Reynaldo Cruz, head of the Department of Pre-university Education at the DPE.

"From 10 July until 19 July, teachers and professors will be prepared in the educational institutions, to apply the Third Improvement of the National Education System with all possible alternatives, and thus give continuity to the objectives that were set out in this area last year, as well as preparing the conditions for the coming academic year," concludes Juan Carlos.

HIGHER EDUCATION CONSOLIDATES

Consolidating the process of academic training of students in fewer weeks, based on the quality of teaching and the presence of students in classes, has been one of the main challenges of the University of Las Tunas (ULT in Spanish) in the current academic year, which began on 14 January and will end on 27 September.

Its rector, Doctor of Science and member of the Cuban Parliament Yoenia Virgen Barbán Sarduy has insisted, at different times in the calendar, that the institution works to strengthen research in the three fundamental sectors of Las Tunas: food production, the sugar industry, and the electro-energy sector, which are vital to the progress of the territory.

After 29 years in operation, the university is still committed to becoming a central axis of territorial development and has focused on working hard on issues related to sustainable agriculture and rural development, renewable energy sources, and energy efficiency, as well as comprehensive training programs and economic, accounting and financial management.

The ULT promotes more than 80 research projects that respond to the main provincial lines of development; strengthening partnerships with other universities and the business sector.

This year, events such as the Sixth Meeting of Press and Communication, chaired by the University Student Federation (FEU in Spanish) and the VI International Forum of Oratory and José Martí and Latin American Thought, were part of the agenda of the Tunisian institution.

For its part, the University of Medical Sciences (UCM in Spanish) celebrated 15 years of being constituted as a higher education center; however, the training of health professionals in this land has a tradition of more than 40 years, attached to the then Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of the province of Camagüey, according to Dr. María Elena Mawad Santos, rector of the institution for the last eight years.

The anniversary came a few months after the conclusion of the external evaluation of the center by the National Accreditation Board, which recognized the scientific level in the training of its professionals, after rigorous scrutiny by experts from various provinces of the country.

The evaluation team investigated the quality of the teaching process and its impact on the renewal of the "white coats army." In its final report, it endorsed as very positive the contribution of the UCM to the development of the Health System, as well as the conception of its services, according to the real needs of the population and the strategy of quality management, with which it assured the accreditation of the undergraduate and specialty programs.

The 40th graduation in January, which welcomed 362 new health professionals, including 358 in Medicine and 4 in the specialty of Stomatology, was also a source of infinite pride. Likewise, 64 graduates in Nursing graduated from the classrooms, improving the integral attention to those who most require it in the local Public Health System, and 116 students of technologies in this sector in all modalities.

The ongoing challenges of Tunisian Higher Education continue to be to increase retention rates, the use of individual study, motivation towards certain academic disciplines, and the demands of the faculties, although in general, progress is being made in the quality of the educational teaching process.

THE MAGIC OF KNOWLEDGE

During a visit to the province in May, the Minister of Education, Naima Trujillo Barreto, stressed the importance of strengthening education here and announced implementing new programs and projects to raise its values in the region. She called for the work of all to be strengthened to guarantee the fulfillment of the objectives and to establish concrete actions to address the existing educational system challenges.

In his words, he also stated that, although this course was the first in Cuba to resume the 46 teaching weeks, Las Tunas has already lived this experience since the 2022-2023 period. Despite the setbacks of the pandemic, every school stage has been completed here; this puts us in a good position to aspire to excellence.

Some issues require a deep and comprehensive look, such as continuity of studies, teacher coverage, entry to Higher Education, and particularly to pedagogical and medical specializations, to protect the necessary replacement in these vital areas.

Since the dawn of January 1959, education has opened up infinite possibilities without geographical or other distinctions. It is therefore imperative that, when September returns with its magic, every school should be a space for knowledge and spiritual growth of children and youth, every teacher should be a guide, and every pupil, be an avid disciple on the road to knowing the world.