EDUCATION-CUBA: A Computer in Every Classroom

By Patricia Grogg Reprint | | Print |

Patricia Grogg

HAVANA, Jul 20 2001 (IPS) - Children in Cuba will begin to familiarise themselves with communications and information technologies in primary school under a government initiative, despite the fact that strict limitations on private use of the Internet remain in place.

In the late 1980s, the Fidel Castro government fomented the creation of computer centres, known as Youth Clubs, to introduce the younger generations to new technologies, a project that now will be implemented in all of the Caribbean island’s educational institutions.

The government’s plan calls for all secondary schools – attended by students ages 12 through 17 – to be equipped with computer laboratories by the time the new academic year begins in September.

Primary schools, and even pre-schools for five-year-olds, will have the teachers and necessary computer equipment the following year, say the authorities in charge of the project.

“I’m not sure what the instruction will be for each grade level, but in general I think it is positive to train students at an early age to use and master the computer,” said Daniel Moreira, who has taught computer classes for the last eight years.

Moreira told IPS that he believes it is a great advantage for students to have resolved the hows and whys of computer usage by the time they have reached working age because it serves as a fundamental tool in many jobs.

Though precise figures are still unavailable, the government initiative entails increasing the number of computers available on the island, where education is free and obligatory until ninth grade.

In socialist-run Cuba, with its population of approximately 11 million people, there are an estimated 10 computers for every 1,000 inhabitants, though it is a statistic that is difficult to pin down, say experts.

Meanwhile, the Castro government’s latest statistical almanac indicates there are 12,164 educational institutions in Cuba, ranging from primary school to university, and there were 2,274,930 students registered for the 1999-2000 academic year.

The widespread use of computers among the younger generations is just one more step towards taking advantage of the Internet to improve the quality of education and the overall culture of the Cuban population, according to the authorities.

With that objective, admission levels were increased for information-related specialties in universities, while polytechnic institutions are expected to expand their computer departments from 3,000 students today to some 20,000 next year.

Efforts are being made to reduce the number of students per computer, says the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Ministry reports show that there are some 5,000 computers currently available at Cuban universities, and 13,000 more distributed among the island’s various other learning institutions, from primary schools on up.

Just over half of the computers found at the universities have access to the Internet, a service the Cuban government has prioritised for collective use over in-home private use, which is limited to just a handful of people.

“The Internet is an enormous source of data, but it entails technical problems that are difficult to resolve. In any case – and to the extent that the country’s economic situation improves – , Internet use will continue to expand. It is a process that cannot be stopped,” commented computer instructor Moreira.

The Cuban authorities have made public assurances that they are willing to provide massive access to the web, but financial obstacles so far have forced them to be selective, favouring certain sectors over others.

“We are not going to stop and seek a solution for a minority, but rather for the majority,” Roberto del Puerto, head of the ministry’s programme for disseminating computer technology, told IPS.

Among those with Internet access in Cuba are employees of government institutions or of foreign companies, accredited foreign journalists and diplomatic personnel.

In addition, some 200 journalists of the island’s state-run press were granted access to the Internet last year through a contract that allows each one 40 hours of web time per month.

Del Puerto explained that the widespread use of information technology here “cannot be achieved in a day,” and that Cuba must begin by “expanding and modernizing the technologies it has.”

The telephone system, which is still the main route onto the Internet, covers just 4.4 percent of the Cuban population overall, and 10.3 percent of the population in Havana, home to more than two million people.

Currently, there are more than 60,000 e-mail addresses registered in Cuba, nearly double the total recorded a year ago.

According to official figures, as of June 2000, there were 35,170 e-mail accounts, half of which had international access, and 3,625 computers with full Internet access.