Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz presided over the nation’s principal Teachers’ Day celebration at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune. The event brought together a cross-section of the educational community, including active teachers, members of the pedagogical detachment, representatives from various training models, retirees, and educators who recently completed international missions, such as a brigade returning from Honduras.
Education Minister Ena Elsa Velázquez Cobiella delivered a keynote address that connected contemporary educational challenges with Cuba’s revolutionary pedagogical heritage. She emphasized that the period coinciding with Teachers’ Day, the anniversary of the Revolution’s triumph, and the start of the academic year represents both a time for honoring educators and for conducting critical assessment of the educational system’s development.
The minister specifically recalled Fidel Castro’s historic 1960 proclamation before the United Nations, when he declared Cuba would become the first illiteracy-free nation in the Americas. “This pledge exemplified revolutionary boldness that materialized through an ambitious campaign where the people educated the people, with youth assuming tremendous responsibility,” Velázquez stated, referencing the landmark 1961 literacy campaign that dramatically reduced illiteracy rates.
The ceremony served as both recognition of current educational professionals and a reaffirmation of Cuba’s ongoing commitment to educational accessibility and quality, tracing a direct lineage from the revolutionary achievements to present-day efforts in maintaining the country’s educational standards.