Essay On Cuban Education Vs American Education

Cuba Comparison to US Policies and Practices –Theresa Plante When it comes to a comparison of Cuba and the United States policies and practices of education, it is commendable that Cuba has such a comprehensive education of citizens given the limited amount of resources. One cannot compare Cuban and American educations without first acknowledging the differences in ideological practices. Cuba has a Communist form of government, compared to the American Democracy. This fundamental difference drives many of the differences between Cuban and American Education.

Breidlid (2007) writes, “The Cuban education system is well known for its focus on inclusion and equality of opportunity, but also for its focus on political and ideological conformity”

The Cuban government prioritizes education, which is seen in the amount the Cuban government spends on education. According to NationMaster (2016) Cuba spends 12.86% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on education which is ranked first in the world, compared to the U.S. which spends 5.62% of the GDP. The Cuban emphasis on prioritizing education has had a huge impact on literacy rates of citizens. Cuba boast a 99.7% literacy rate compared to the U.S. which has an 86% literacy rate (Lopez, 2011). Cubans approach to preschool and early education continues to express the value of education as 98.3 % of children entering primary school have had some sort of preschool experience. Preschool is typically done through the “Educate Your Child” or “Children’s Circles” programmes, which all have an emphasis on parent involvement. This is dramatically different from the 58% of American children who attend preschools (Cuba,

schools who often have an abundance of resources in comparison (Binns, 2014). While resources are limited in Cuba, educators and teachers are still viewed as professionals having five years of college education and are highly regarded, however teacher typically make a very modest salary (Miller, 2002). The Collectivist approach to education in Cuba strongly differs from the individualist approach used in the United States. This can been in the lack of private institutions of learning, which are banned in Cuba. It can also be seen in the Cuban motto, “Education for All” which prioritizes inclusivity, equity, and social justice through providing free education from kindergarten to university (Breidlid, 2007). However, one place where inclusivity is not seen in Cuba is in Special Education. Children are often sent to special schools when disabilities arise instead of the mainstream approach seen in the United States (Lopez,