Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura on Cuban education
HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 31 (acn) “The ongoing effort to achieve a fairer society has placed Cuban education at the vanguard by assuring equality of opportunities, overcoming elitist approaches and guaranteeing the continuity of education for all,” said Cuban First Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura at the closing of Pedagogy 2009.
The gala for the event that brought together educators and education officials from dozens of countries took place Friday evening at the Karl Marx Theater, reported Granma newspaper
Machado stressed how under difficult circumstances education can be developed as long as there is nations’ leadership understands the importance that education has for the future of our peoples.
Machado thanked all those who have placed their confidence in the Cuban literacy teaching method “Yo si puedo” (Yes I can) and congratulated Venezuela and Bolivia for their proclamations of being territories free of illiteracy.
The Cuban First Vice President said that the progress reached “shows our meeting the fundamental objectives of the World Children’s Summit, the UN Millennium Goals and the six main objectives of the UNESCO Education Programme.”
Machado added that the true architects of these results are the teachers trained by the Revolution, who have given their example of hard work and devotion to the educating of new generations. He also recalled the considerable time Fidel Castro dedicated to this endeavor.
The final statement of Pedagogy 2009 reaffirmed the commitment of teachers to play their corresponding role in the struggle for life and human development. It also proposed declaring the Cuban Five as Teachers of Dignity.
Also attending the closing ceremony were Vice President Esteban Lazo Hernandez, vice president of the Council of Ministers, Jose Ramon Fernandez; and Ena Elsa Velazquez Cobiella and Juan Vela Valdez, the ministers of Education and Higher Education
