• The country’s population has the highest educational level in Latin America
By LINET PERERA NEGRÍN
Herman van Hooff, director of UNESCO’s regional cultural office, reported February 5 that Cuba’s accomplishments in implementing the United Nations ‘Education for All’ (EFA) objectives are recognized worldwide.
The six objectives include
expansion of early childhood care and education;
provision of universal free and compulsory primary
education; opportunities for young people and adults
to learn life skills; the development of adult
literacy, gender parity and quality education.
The ‘Education for All’ effort
guided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization is directed toward meeting
universal educational needs. Progress toward meeting
the objectives was described in UNESCO’s 11th
report on teaching and learning 2013-2014, recently
shared in Havana.
Van Hooff assured Granma that he
is pleased with Cuba’s accomplishments and mentioned
several of the country’s outstanding achievements
such as the early childhood education program Educa
a tu hijo, quality primary education and Cuba’s
renowned adult literacy campaign.
He emphasized that Cuba has the
highest EFA Development index (EDI) in Latin America
and the Caribbean. The rating is a composite figure
based on progress on four of the six EFA goals.
These are the objectives focused on universal
primary education, adult literacy, quality of
education and gender equity, selected given the
availability of data in these areas.
The report also highlighted the
fact that, among all countries in Latin America and
the Caribbean, Cuba dedicates the highest percentage
of its Gross Domestic Product to education, 13%.
Despite progress made in several
countries, the report concludes that the basic EFA
goals will not be achieved and that the issue of
education must be a central priority on the UN’s
post-2015 development agenda.
February 06, 2014
