The 1,600,000 students who today attend preschool to pre-university in Cuba and its 250,000 teachers, suffer the effects of the inhuman US blockade on the island every day in their classrooms.

This was reported by the Master Gretel Moya Trobajo, Director of Communication of the Ministry of Education (Mined), at a press conference held at the Abel Santamaría Cuadrado special school for children with visual disabilities (blind and with low vision), located in Ciudad Escolar Libertad , in the capital's Marianao municipality.

She explained that in the last three years the effects of this interventionist policy have become even more damaging. He recalled that the more than 240 additional measures imposed by the Donald Trump administration, a few days before the end of his mandate, also included the inclusion of Cuba on the list of nations allegedly sponsoring terrorism, which adds even more obstacles to the island to access the resources for its development.

The Mined spokeswoman highlighted that Cuba, with 24 percent of its annual budget allocated to education, is recognized worldwide as one of the countries that dedicates the most resources to the training of new generations.

However, she pointed out, it is extremely difficult to execute that budget given the enormous obstacles imposed by the blockade to access the most basic means of education, even when the funds are available to purchase them.

She explained that in the current teaching calendar it was necessary to readjust the material base of studies that students receive at the beginning of the course, and reduce the number of pencils, notebooks and other materials that are given free to each student.

The printing of textbooks was also affected, for which the country allocates more than eight million dollars each year, to mention a few examples of the effects of the blockade in all spheres of life of the Cuban population.

Moya Trobajo expressed the difficulties in gaining access, from equipment such as those intended for teaching the Braille system or the paper required for it, to the glasses that some students need to treat their ophthalmological conditions.

She explained that currently, schools where blind and low-vision children study need 59 braille machines and 20 braille printers, which have a unit price of 850 and more than four thousand dollars, respectively.

It also reported that the special school Solidarity with Panama, for children with physical motor limitations based in the Fontanar district of Havana's Boyeros municipality, has not been able to buy the necessary equipment, since 55 electric chairs have an approximate value (each one ) of two thousand dollars and 563 conventional chairs have a value (each) of 473 dollars.

However, she warned that despite the US blockade, the daily efforts of educators and the Cuban State ensure that education in the country continues and obtain notable results, including important awards for Cuban students in international events.

He stressed that the limitations caused by a policy aimed at promoting the destruction of the social model chosen by the majority of Cubans, compels them to generate initiatives, grow in skills and abilities, putting into practice the creative resistance proposed by President Miguel Díaz-Canel. .

That expression, he assured, is not just another slogan, but Cuba's possible way out of an economic war that continues despite being rejected by the international community.

Precisely, in the first days of November, Cuba will again present before the UN General Assembly a resolution that demands the lifting of this aggressive policy, and which for 30 years has been supported by the vast majority of the members of the world organization.

(Source: Prensa Latina and Workers)