Education

COST OF LIVING: CUBA:

Education & Public Health

EDUCATION

Education in Cuba, like everybody knows, is free, so it is not necessary to explain a lot. I only want to clarify some points that may not be clear as to what a free education means in Cuba.

Of course the registration is free from the first grade through the graduate degree studies of the university students. The education of the whole population, including graduate degree studies, is a duty of the State, established in the Constitution.

The cost of the uniforms of the students is subsidized.

The school materials, books, notebooks, pencils, etc. are given free.

As I said previously the food in the schools it is free.

Many of the secondary school students, most of the college students and some of the university students live at their schools and they receive, besides what has already been discussed, their uniforms and everything they need to live (food, bedclothes, products for personal hygiene, etc.) free.

Elementary school class in Havana.

The university students, considering that at their age they have extra necessities, receive a stipend of 20.00 pesos in 1st year, 25.00 in 2nd, 30.00 in 3rd and 4th and 40.00 in 5th.

Besides what I have already pointed out we should add that there are two aspects of the education that are not considered seriously in almost any place else of the world.

The special teaching. In Cuba there is a program of free special teaching for disabled students that includes schools of special teaching in all the provinces of the country, and in the places where there are not enough students to make a school necessary, specialized teachers exist to give classes to the disabled children, so we can say that education is taken to all, including people that suffer of any disability.

All the graduate University students at the moment they receive their diplomas also receive their labor location. In other words, all graduate University student have a work position assured.

On the basis of the above, we see that incurring expenses for education is not a concern for any Cuban.

Secondary school girls in Santiago.

PUBLIC HEALTH

This aspect is also very well know, so that I don't believe that it needs a lot of explanation, although I would like to explain a few things.

In the first place something obvious, it is free, from the primary care, headed by the well know family doctor, who carries out preventive and sociological work in the community and not just medical, up to and including the most complex treatments, that could be a heart transplant, a plastic surgery or an infertility treatment.

In the event that someone needs to enter a hospital, he or she receives all food and medication or other materials that are used in his/her treatment free.

The medicines that are consumed outside of the hospital have to be purchased, but they are sold at prices subsidized by the state.

In the case of medications or other medical products that are received as donations, we do the same thing as with the donated foods.

Havana day care center.

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