-DATE- 19601011 -YEAR- 1960 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- SPEECH -AUTHOR- F. CASTRO -HEADLINE- MEETING OF THE FIRST NATIONAL CONGRESS OF MUNICI -PLACE- HAVANA -SOURCE- -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19601011 -TEXT- DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES OF THE FIRST NATIONAL CONGRESS OF MUNICIPAL EDUCATION COUNCILS Unsigned Source: [not indicated], 11 October 1960 The first National Congress of Municipal Education Councils is meeting in the city of Havana under exceptional circumstances as far as the fatherland is concerned. In view of the open aggression by United States imperialism and its continental agents against the Cuban Revolution, this congress feels that it is its first obligation to declare its unconditional support for all actions and statements by the Revolutionary Government which is headed by the beloved guide of the Cuban people, Dr Fidel Castro, in the legitimate defense of the sovereignty and the rights of our people to liberty, progress, culture, happiness, peace, and friendly relations with all peoples of the world. The congress declares that it is fully aware of the dangers coming from imperialist aggression and that it is therefore determined to fight side by side with people in general and the organized sectors of the citizenry, on each and every one of the fronts involved and with all means that may be necessary. On the basis of the above statements, the congress hereby condemns: A. The so-called "Declaration of San Jose de Costa Rica." B. The open aggression which imperialism is perpetrating against Cuba directly and through its government lackeys. C. The colonization and exploitation of peoples, the promoters of big land ownership, the monopolies, misery, racial discrimination, illiteracy, and other social ills. Similarly, the congress pledges special support to the following: A. The "Havana Declaration" and the statements made by the maximum leader of the revolution, Dr Fidel Castro, to the General Assembly of the United Nations. B. The agrarian reform, the industrialization of the country, the nationalization of the confiscated foreign enterprises, the redemption of foreign currency, the diversification of our foreign trade, the creation of militia forces, and the education reform. C. The conversion of military barracks into schools, and the full support for the peasants, workers, teachers, parents, and children of Latin America in their struggle against military oppression, ignorance, and imperialism. D. The underdeveloped and tyrannized colonial peoples, in their struggle for their liberation and progress; especially the Republic of the Congo, Algeria, Laos, Franco Spain, Santo Domingo, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. E. The effort of all peoples toward total disarmament, peaceful coexistence, and international solidarity. The congress wishes to emphasize to the people of Cuba the importance of education in guaranteeing the success of our revolutionary program, as well as the need for implementing the education programs in such a way that they will help in the accomplishment of the grand objectives of the revolution, while at the same time once and for all destroying the last vestiges of the educational systems of the past which imperialist cultural aggression established in order to assure its domination over Cuba. The Prime Minister has designated the year 1961 as the Year of Education; he has alerted the united people of Cuba, who are genuinely represented at this congress, as to the necessity of making every effort and launching every initiative through the Municipal Education Councils in order -- with the direct participation of the Cuban family -- to carry out the incorporation of our national school system into the liberation plans of the revolution. In this sense, the first National Congress of the Municipal Education Councils declares that it pledges itself to see this effort through to the successful accomplishment of the following objectives during the Year of Education: I. An end to illiteracy (the literacy campaign). The nation must make sure that the entire people will be a part of one of the most revolutionary processes of all times; it is necessary to upgrade a large portion of the nation (almost 2 million Cuban illiterates) and to enable them to serve their country better. II. Healthy and strong children (pupil health and physical education). Like all of the other Latin American countries, Cuba was kept in a state of economic underdevelopment, in spite of its enormous potential in terms of natural wealth. Because of this situation, our children lived in physical misery: parasitism, tuberculosis, malnutrition, lack of physical exercise and proper attention. The enjoyment of a better life, to which a people has a right, through measures promoting economic freedom as a basis for political and social freedom, as far as our children are concerned signifies the achievement of full health and integral physical development. III. Educational facilities (school buildings). Our national school system was the victim of criminal abandonment over more than half a century, by the pseudo-republican governments. This official abandonment, on the one hand, and the population increase as well as the growing current prestige of the national school system as a consequence of the education reform which the revolutionary government is carrying out -- these factors point up the urgent need for putting "each school in a house" during the Year of Education." This is a task for all the people and therefore a task for all of the Municipal Councils. IV. School Premises and material. The painful spectacle of miserable classrooms, paralleled by an administrative breakdown, corruption, and confusion, was something like an ulcer left over from the tragic past, a sore which was maintained by treacherous Cuban officials, men without scruples in the service of imperialist interests. The revolution proposes to see our children happy in healthy classrooms and equipped with all of the necessary training aids. The accomplishment of such a tremendous program requires the immediate and determined cooperation of all social forces represented at this congress. V. Libraries for the people. Ignorance has been cultivated in Cuba by the exploiters and by the enemies of our progress and liberties. Ignorance was promoted by making books disappear and by prostituting the organs of public opinion, propaganda, and information, such as the press, radio, television, the movies, and others. The revolution is awakening the best capacities of the people through its message of culture. The people's libraries, which will be beefed up with the help of the National Printing Office, will be the culture brigades that will be stationed in the most out-of-the way places of the country, as a bulwark of liberation. VI. Technical Education In a country with a single-crop economy, an underdeveloped country without any industries, there were no real possibilities for technical education. The primary schools did not develop a sense of productivity and cooperation. Through the agrarian reform and through the country's industrialization, the revolution demands and at the same time facilitates the development of a technical education system which will back up these plans by training men and women capable of doing the job with greater perfection, minimum effort, maximum yield, and greater speed. Through the organization of the business and technological schools, we can directly develop the kind of technical worker whom the fatherland really needs. Therefore, each municipal council pledges to achieve the above objectives through the following work program: 1. Muster all the energy and enthusiasm necessary in order to lend impetus to popular culture as a factor in a truly democratic education system. 2. Take dynamic action in the illiteracy eradication campaign; and see to it that all of the sectors represented in the municipal education councils will actively cooperate in that campaign so as to achieve the great goal of the Year of Education: "Death to illiteracy." 3. Fight against parasitism, tuberculosis, malnutrition, etc, and emphasize sports and healthy living habits in defense of healthy and wholesome children and youths. 4. Build at least one school center and one basic secondary school in each municipality through economic contributions from the entire nation and through volunteer work by workers and peasants. 5. Procure premises on a priority basis in order to meet the needs of the primary schools, the worker schools, the adult education schools, and the business schools. 6. Contribute to the procurement and maintenance of school premises and material through the mobilization of the resources of the community. 7. Organize, orient, and promote the operation of at least one people's library in each municipality. 8. Cooperate in the establishment of business and technological schools. The first National Congress of Municipal Education Councils promises the people that it will fight with all strength to make sure that all sectors and areas of the nation will have schools and teachers -- something we are just about to achieve through the 15,000 classrooms that have been created and through the generous support from our volunteer teachers. In this great hour, which our fatherland is living through now, as it moves in the vanguard of the struggle against imperialism in Latin America, this congress marks a phase in the history of Cuban education, as the destiny of our national school system is placed in the hands of the people themselves. Today, peasants, workers, teachers, and parents are meeting for the first time in a people's assembly in order to spell out the problems of education; on this occasion, the most beautiful example which we could present to our children would be to reassert these declarations and to swear that we will defend the revolution until victory or death -- and we shall win! On, to victory in the battle of culture in the "Year of Education!" 10 October 1960, "Year of the Agrarian Reform." Havana, Cuba Free Territory of America -END-