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Cuba to begin school year amid energy crisis and shortages
Cuba is set to begin the 2026-2027 school year on September 1, despite severe energy shortages and transport difficulties. Education Minister Naima Trujillo acknowledged that the crisis poses a significant challenge to the 1.4 million students expected to return to classes.
To mitigate the impact of frequent power outages and fuel shortages, the Ministry of Education will implement flexible school hours and relaxed uniform policies. The government noted that it was not possible to provide uniforms for all families, with primary school coverage at only 12%. Additionally, teacher coverage has dropped to 73%, prompting plans to relocate approximately 3,000 teachers from eastern provinces to Havana to support urban centers.
Recent power grid failures have caused massive blackouts in the eastern provinces of Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo. These outages, compounded by a de facto fuel blockade from the United States, have also disrupted water supplies and telecommunications. President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that the scheduled reopening of schools serves as evidence that the country is not in a state of collapse.
Entities
Asociación Dominicana de Profesores · Cuba · Diario Libre · Dominican Republic · Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez · Ministry of Education of Cuba · Naima Trujillo · Naima Trujillo Barreto · Sociedad de Seguros de Vida del Magisterio Nacional · Universidad de Ciencias Médicas (UCIMED) · Unión Eléctrica de Cuba · Unión Nacional de Educadores
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Teacher coverage in Cuba has fallen to 73%. eju.tv · www.japantimes.co.jp
- [● 2 SOURCES] A power grid failure caused massive blackouts in Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo. dominicanaaldia.com · www.tvn-2.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Cuban school year will begin on September 1, 2026. dominicanaaldia.com · www.telecubanacan.icrt.cu · www.radiohc.cu · www.telesurtv.net · www.japantimes.co.jp
- [● 4 SOURCES] The energy crisis and transport issues pose a major challenge to the 1.4 million students. dominicanaaldia.com · eju.tv · www.telecubanacan.icrt.cu · www.japantimes.co.jp
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 3,000 teachers will be relocated from eastern provinces to support Havana. eju.tv
- [○ 1 SOURCE] President Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that the school reopening proves the country is not in collapse. www.telesurtv.net
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Ministry of Education will implement flexible school hours and uniform policies. dominicanaaldia.com · eju.tv · www.telecubanacan.icrt.cu · www.telesurtv.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] There is a significant shortage of school uniforms, with only 12% coverage for primary students. eju.tv · www.japantimes.co.jp
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Cuban education system will serve approximately 1.4 million students this school year. dominicanaaldia.com · www.telecubanacan.icrt.cu · eju.tv · tribunanoticias.mx · www.tvn-2.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Schools will adopt flexible entry and exit schedules to accommodate transport and energy issues. dominicanaaldia.com · eju.tv · www.newsbeast.gr · tribunanoticias.mx · www.tvn-2.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Ministry of Education will implement flexible uniform policies due to widespread shortages. dominicanaaldia.com · eju.tv · www.newsbeast.gr · www.radiorebelde.cu
- [● 4 SOURCES] A massive power failure in eastern Cuba affected Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo. dominicanaaldia.com · eju.tv · tribunanoticias.mx · www.tvn-2.com