Mr. President,
We concur with the Special Rapporteur that education is a fundamental human right, indispensable for the realization of all other rights. It is an essential pillar for sustainable development and the prosperity of any nation.
For the Cuban State, education is a top priority, to which 20% of the national budget is allocated. In our country, universal and free access to all levels of education is guaranteed.
The relentless economic blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba, intensified by a brutal total fuel embargo for more than five months, severely affects the education system.
The energy shortage has forced the reorganization of study programs, resulting in a significant reduction in class hours, which affects the quality of education. Around 40% of students have had to attend classes intermittently.
University education suspended in-person classes, and students were engaged in socio-community activities.
Many of our children, their families, and teachers are forced to walk long distances due to the lack of transportation caused by fuel shortages.
It was necessary to bring the school year to an early close this year, several weeks earlier than planned.
Our special education system is also affected. The figures speak for themselves: 9 minutes of blockade cost Cuba 280,000 dollars, equivalent to the cost of the electric and conventional wheelchairs required to meet the needs of the country’s special education system.
Ten minutes of blockade are equivalent to the 143,000 dollars needed to cover the demand for hearing prostheses for children and adolescents with disabilities enrolled in special education.
With great effort, it was possible to ensure the school year for the 128,000 children with disabilities who attended 192 schools to receive specialized free educational services.
Despite the enormous challenges imposed by the United States’ policy of suffocation, the Cuban education system has neither stopped nor collapsed. We will continue educating with the resources we have, with creativity and dedication. This is our unwavering commitment, because as Cuba’s National Hero once said: “The happiest people are those who have the best-educated children.”
Thank you.