Cuba has launched comprehensive nationwide celebrations honoring its educators, recognizing them as fundamental pillars in shaping the nation’s future. The ceremonies highlighted the extraordinary dedication of teachers who persevere through daily challenges and material limitations, driven not by reward but by profound vocational commitment to educating future generations.
At the Higher Education awards ceremony, Rolando Pascual Fundora La Rosa, General Director of Services at Marta Abreu Central University of Las Villas, received the prestigious Hero of Labor of the Republic of Cuba title directly from President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. This highest honor acknowledges Fundora’s exemplary revolutionary rigor, unwavering patriotism, and educational dedication that knows no rest.
The celebrations extended across multiple educational sectors with numerous distinctions awarded. The Frank País Order (first and second degrees) recognized veterans with extensive careers significantly contributing to Cuba’s educational development. Additional honors included the José Tey medal and the For Cuban Education distinction.
Professor Estrella María de la Paz Martínez, PhD in Sciences from UCLV, embodied the educators’ spirit with her humble acceptance speech, questioning whether any recognition could truly match their societal contributions. “We have done something for society and for our country,” she stated, referencing the training of youth and elevation of professional scientific standards.
Education Minister Walter Baluja García emphasized the historical continuity from Cuba’s “illustrious teachers” who fostered love for a sovereign nation to contemporary educators who now drive ideas of a strong, independent country. He connected current efforts to upcoming milestones—the Fidel Castro centenary and Ministry of Higher Education’s 50th anniversary—interpreting Castro’s 1959 vision as foundational to Cuba’s current science and innovation-based governance.
Parallel ceremonies honored health sector educators, with Deputy Health Minister Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo praising their role in building Cuba’s internationally recognized solidarity-based health system. The celebrations also recognized professionals with Professor Emeritus titles from Havana’s University of Medical Sciences.
Throughout all events, officials consistently emphasized that education remains the fundamental pillar of Cuba’s revolutionary transformations, with schools serving as bastions of ideas and resistance in a challenging global context.