Up to 1,400 pesos for notebooks for primary education in Cuba

A Cuban woman denounced the very high prices for workbooks for primary education that are sold in private businesses, which few families can access.

Niurka Toledo Escobar, a graduate in preschool education who according to her social networks resides in Miami, shared in her Facebook the prices of notebooks for subjects such as Mathematics, Writing, The world we live in, I work and learn and Let's read. The latter is the most expensive of all and costs 1,400 pesos.

"What an abuse, look at the prices of notebooks in Cuba. What parent can access that? The State does not have enough to give to children in schools and individuals take advantage of the situation. Whose fault will it be?" , asked.

"They should not allow them to sell those types of things that are so essential for children's learning," he added.

Last December, just beginning the 2022-2023 school year, the Cuban government was left without paper to print and make notebooks, books and notebooks for the students.

Ena Elsa Velázquez Cobiella, Minister of Education, assured that the paper they had would only allow the printing of a portion of the materials, therefore, they had to reuse the books and reduce the per capita number of notebooks.

Increasingly, the restart of the teaching year becomes a headache for Cuban families, who must face the very high costs of their children's school supplies.

This week, a father shared on Facebook the list of the money he will have to pay, which could easily exceed 20,000 pesos.

"Backpack, from 6,500 to 8,000 cup. Shoes, 5,000 to 10,000 cup. Stockings, 350 to 500 for five pairs minimum, up to 2,500. School supplies, 2,000 to 3,000," explained Reinier David Sabater Rodríguez.

In addition to "what needs to be provided for the classroom, buying some books and printing notebooks because there are none, and so we continue," he added.

In July, the case of a mother who sold her hair to buy the backpack, the picnic bag and the shoes what your children need for school.

"I work like a mule and nothing gives me anything, because when I think about gathering money for that I run out of rice, or chicken, or the divine component. I need you to tell me how it can be sold, more or less I have it up to my waist and I have enough," said Leidy González.