Ministry of Education of Jamaica and Embassy of Cuba welcome new Cuban specialists
JAMAICA, August 29, 2011.- Last August 23, 16 new Cuban teachers arrived in Jamaica to join the Educational Brigade which renders services in this sister Caribbean nation. The professionals, working under bilateral cooperation agreements, will officially start their mission on the same day the new academic course begins on September 6 in the Jamaican primary, secondary and tertiary level schools throughout the island.
As part of the welcoming ceremony, organized by the local authorities, during August 24 and 25, the Ministry of Education held an orientation seminar in Kingston aimed at officially welcoming our professionals and briefing them both from the cultural point of view and the methodological standpoint. Within this framework, the teachers were taken to museums, galleries and other places of historical and cultural interest of the Jamaican capital, while they exchanged with the different principals of the schools to which they were assigned.
Presided over by Parliamentarian Gregory Mair, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education of Jamaica and Cuban Ambassador, comrade Yuri Gala Lopez, the closing ceremony of the teachers’ orientation seminar was held on Thursday, August 25. On behalf of Jamaica, also present were Mrs. Audrey Sewell, Permanent Secretary and other high ranking officials of the local Ministry of Education. Comrade Yaima Gonzalez, Head of the Cooperation Unit at the Cuban Embassy and comrade Gumersindo Cruz, head of the Educational Brigade also attended the function.
Minister of State Gregory Mair and Permanent Secretary A. Sewell who spoke at the ceremony, to officially welcome the new Cuban teachers, expressed their gratitude towards the Government of Cuba for keeping this important cooperation program ongoing and spoke in favour of expanding it; an action that would contribute to the strengthening of the bilateral relations between both Caribbean states. Mrs. Sewell stated that the Cuban professionals are an example of professional ethics and dedication to work, while highlighting the importance that the scholarships program the Cuban government offers Jamaica every year for Jamaican youngsters’ professional training has represented.
On the other hand, Ambassador Yuri Gala reiterated the welcoming to the new teachers. He expressed that, despite the unjust U.S blockade imposed for more than five decades against Cuba, the country continues to be a stable nation which has attained important achievements in the educational field. He recalled that, after the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, education became a human right guaranteed by the Cuban government, apart from eradicating illiteracy following a successful literacy campaign launched in 1961. He also highlighted that, at present, the country has more than 60 universities from which more than a million students have graduated. The Cuban diplomat also stated that Cuba has been offering cooperation in the educational sector to other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.
The abovesaid Cuba-Jamaica cooperation program in the educational field was started in 1997. Since then, nearly 300 Cuban teachers have been rendering specialized services in different Jamaican schools. (Cubaminrex-Embacuba Jamaica)
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