Hundreds of Cuban Teachers Return to the Classroom in Villa Clara

More than 700 teachers from the central Cuban province of Villa Clara will return to the classroom in the upcoming academic year, according to Minister of Education Dr. Ena Elsa Velazquez.

With this number, which places the territory among the Cuban provinces with the highest number of teachers returning to the profession, some 1,522 teachers ruled out retirement and decided to continue working.

The news comes following the announcement of a considerable salary increase for teachers and education staff, and the guarantee of better attention to carry out their educational tasks.

According to Minister Ena Elsa Velazquez, more than 8,000 teachers will return to the classroom in September, following the revolutionary government's decision to increase salaries in the sector. The increase will allow the 2019-2020 school year to begin with 95 percent teacher coverage, without resorting to other alternatives.

Regarding teacher coverage, the minister insisted that it is always preferable to have permanent rather than temporarily contracted staff, but since not a single child can be left without a teacher, and quality teaching must be ensured, alternatives such as hiring other professionals have been sought.