Saturday, August 6, 2011

Translation: Guidelines debate 15, Education

Here is Part 15 of my translation of the booklet Information on the results of the Debate on the Economic and Social Policy Guidelines for the Party and the Revolution, an explanatory document published together with the final version of the Guidelines adopted by the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Congress in April.

The format is as follows: number and text of the draft guideline, followed by the text and number of the corresponding guideline approved by the Communist Party Congress, followed by the drafting commission's explanation for the change. You'll find it easiest to read on my blog where the amended guidelines are in bold font.


Social Policy

General Guidelines

129. Continue preserving the gains of the Revolution, such as access to medical attention, education, culture, sport, recreation, pensions and social security for those who need it.

Continue preserving the social achievements of the Revolution, such as access to medical attention, education, culture, sports, recreation, the peace and security of the neighbourhoods, pensions, and social security for those who need it. (140)

Reworded to include “peace and security” given 1,167 opinions nationwide.

130. Reassert the role of work as the fundamental means of contributing to social development and the satisfaction of personal and family needs.

Reassert the role of work, and income derived from work, as the fundamental means of contributing to social development and the satisfaction of personal and family needs. (141)

Adds the reference to incomes derived from work in response to 3,190 opinions nationwide.

131. Ensure a systematic and sustained improvement in the quality of the services provided to the population, and the redesign of current policies, in line with economic possibilities. (Maintained as guideline 142) 

132. Continue improving education, health and sports, for which it will be necessary to reduce or eliminate excessive spending in the sphere of social services. 

Continue improving education, health, culture and sports, for which it will be necessary to reduce or eliminate excessive spending in the sphere of social services, as well as generating new sources of income and evaluating activities that can be transferred from the budgeted sector to the state enterprise system. (143) 

Incorporates the need to “generate new sources of income” and the possibility that budgeted activities may be transferred to the state enterprise system. In response to 1,607 opinions nationwide.

Education. In preschool, primary and mid-level education, work towards:

Education

Eliminates the subdivision into preschool, primary, mid-level and tertiary education because the proposed guidelines are valid for all education levels.

133. Continue advancing in raising the quality and rigour of the teacher training process and achieve a better utilisation of the existing capacity, through the establishment of mixed training centres to ensure teacher training at the various levels of education, according to necessities. This implies streamlining training centres and achieving a better utilisation of the workforce.

Continue advancing in raising the quality and rigour of the teacher training and educative process. Prioritise permanent improvement, teacher encouragement of and attention to pupils, and the role of the family in the education of children and youth. Achieve a better utilisation of the workforce and of existing capacities. (145)

Adds teacher improvement, encouragement and attention to pupils and the role of the family in the education of children and youth. Given 13, 126 opinions nationwide and the Congress analysis. The reference to mixed teacher training centres is an aspect of the reorganisation of the school network that is taken up in draft guideline 148.

134. Train the teaching personnel needed in each region to meet the needs of the educational centres of the different teaching levels.

Train, with quality and rigour, the teaching personnel needed in each province and municipality by the educational centres of the different teaching levels. (146)

Includes the need to boost the quality and rigour of the the teacher training process. Given 4,294 opinions nationwide.

135. Strengthen the role of the teacher in the classroom, and ensure that the audiovisual materials and equipment that complement the educational efforts of the teacher are used rationally.

Strengthen the role of the teacher in contact with the students and ensure that the audiovisual materials and equipment are complementary to the educational efforts of the teacher, and ensure their rational use. (147)

Improves the wording and substitutes “student” for “classroom”. Given 2,708 opinions nationwide and the Congress analysis.

136. Gradually reorganise the school network to maintain, in mid-level and high school, the indispensable minimum number of boarding students and reduce costs for the provision of transport, food and lodging. 

Gradually reorganise the school network. Maintain, in mid-level and high school, the indispensable minimum number of boarding students and reduce costs for the provision of transport, food and lodging. (148)

Separates the idea of reorganising the school network so that it applies to all educational levels.
137. Adjust the levels of activity in primary education, taking into account the demographic situation [i.e. an aging population – translator’s note]. 

Adjust the capacity of the school network and the numbers of teaching personnel in primary education, in correspondence with economic and socio-demographic development and where students live. (149) 

Modified in response to the 233 doubts raised nationwide about what it means to adjust levels of activity, and to incorporate “economic and socio-demographic” developments and “where student live”. In response to 1, 245 opinions nationwide and the Congress analysis.

138. The numbers of graduates in the various careers will correspond to the needs of economic and social development.

Ensure that the numbers of graduates in the various fields and careers correspond to the needs of economic and social development. Ensure that the vocational training and careers counselling that begins in primary school, in collaboration with productive and services entities and with the participation of the child’s family, promotes recognition of the work of mid-level technicians and qualified workers. (150)

The guideline is extended to cover all education and incorporates that related to vocational training, careers counselling, the role of economic entities and the family, as well as the recognition of mid-level technicians and qualified workers. Given 3,125 opinions nationwide and those of six National Assembly of Peoples Power deputies.

139. Boost the rigour and effectiveness of the educative process to increase the efficiency of the cycle (graduates as a percentage of high school matriculations five years prior).

Boost the rigour and effectiveness of the teacher training/educative process to increase the efficiency of the cycle (graduates as a percentage of high school matriculations at the beginning of the cycle). (151)

Substitutes “five years before” for “at the beginning of the cycle” to cover all levels of education.

140. Change the structure of training for pedagogical careers to increase to 50% mid-level teacher training and proportionally reduce the numbers of high school teacher trainees. (Incorporated into guidelines 146 and 150)

Incorporated in response to 124 opinions in 13 provinces and the Isle of Youth.

141. Update the university training and research programs regarding new technologies, and increase graduations for related technological and basic sciences careers.

Update the university training and research programs in line with the needs of the country’s economic and social development and with new technologies, and increase graduations for related careers in agriculture, teaching, technologies and basic sciences. (152) 

Incorporates the need to achieve a better link with the productive sector, given 70 opinions in 11 provinces. Includes, given its importance, increasing the numbers of graduates for agricultural and pedagogical careers. 

142. Ensure that the conditions created to enable workers to be able to study are based on the principle that such study must take place in the worker’s free time and on their own personal initiative. 

Specify that the conditions created to enable workers to be able to study are based on the principle that such study must take place in the worker’s free time and on their own personal initiative, except in special cases in the interests of the state. (153) 

Given the analysis at the Congress, it is specified that there may be workers whose incorporation into studies needs to be treated differently.

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