Following the devastating passage of hurricanes Oscar and Rafael through the eastern and western regions of the country, respectively, along with the ongoing seismic activity in the eastern region and the persistent energy crisis, the government resumed the school year in Cuba this Monday.
Cira Piñeiro Alonso, the First Deputy Minister of Education, stated in the province of Granma that the school year resumed this Monday in most educational institutions across Cuba.
The official clarified that in Havana and Mayabeque, educational centers that are ready to receive students will open their doors, while in the provinces that have already returned to normalcy, activities have begun without any setbacks, Granma reported.
Despite the triumphant rhetoric, Piñeiro acknowledged that educational centers in Artemisa will only be gradually inaugurated as they manage to restore electricity services and water supply, both of which have been severely impacted in the province.
On the other hand, he acknowledged that not all schools are in suitable conditions, so each center will have to improvise the necessary alternatives to begin, Granma reported.
In the case of Artemisa, which was severely affected by Hurricane Rafael, the official noted that 228 schools sustained damage, representing 59.8% of the institutions in the area. She added that Havana and Mayabeque also experienced significant losses, with 88 and 22 schools affected, respectively.
Nevertheless, according to Piñeiro, the conditions are ready to resume the school year, despite the significant damages that included damage to roofs, carpentry, and fallen trees that compromised the structure of several institutions.
The province of Pinar del Río, with some areas experiencing over 120 hours of continuous blackout, also resumed the school year.
Despite this, the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel showcased on his social media the resumption of the school year as a "revolutionary achievement" of the government: "Today, it was possible to resume classes in the majority of Cuban schools and universities that had suspended them due to the hurricanes."
Additionally, in his speech, he recognized the efforts of “teachers, workers, families, and students who contributed to the recovery.”
In eastern Cuba, impacted by Hurricane Oscar and two major earthquakes – along with the aftershocks that keep authorities on edge – the school year remained a platform for praises and slogans.
The government-affiliated newspaper from Guantanamo, Venceremos, stated on its Facebook profile that the ceremony to start the school year took place at the Julio A. Delgado Reyes primary school in Macambo, "one of the facilities revitalized in record time following the impact of Hurricane Óscar in San Antonio del Sur."
Additionally, they mentioned that over 87,180 students from various educational levels resumed classes this Monday across the province, "after the interruptions caused by the threat of rain during Hurricane Rafael, which forced the evacuation of a large portion of the eastern Guantanamo population."
However, according to the news portal, of the 887 schools spread across the province of Guantánamo, “about 185 were affected by Óscar, and to date, 156 have been recovered, while 23 are operating in alternative locations.”
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