-DATE- 19610817 -YEAR- 1961 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- SPEECH -AUTHOR- F. CASTRO -HEADLINE- CASTRO SPEAKS ON LITERACY CAMPAIGN -PLACE- CUBA -SOURCE- HAVANA DOMESTIC SVC -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19610817 -TEXT- CASTRO SPEAKS ON LITERACY CAMPAIGN Havana Domestic Service in Spanish 0410 GMT 17 August 1961--E (Summary) Comrades, leaders of the union branches of Havana province: When we decided to eliminate illiteracy in Cuba during this year, we knew it would be a difficult task. We mobilized teachers, voluntary teachers, and youth brigades. But seeing that half of the population lives in the countryside, isolated, it seemed impossible to do the job completely even with the goal of 100,000 literacy workers. When it was a case of defending our country against imperialist aggression, hundreds of thousands of workers were mobilized. The time has now come to use this force to help eliminate illiteracy. This is the culminating point. This is the proper time to appeal to the workers and to send them into the battle against ignorance. The CTC has studied the possibilities of mobilizing workers. It was necessary that entering into this campaign, the obligation to produce should not suffer. The possibility was studied of mobilizing 30,000 workers without affecting production, choosing them according to the possibilities of each federation, and sending them out as brigades to teach in the countryside. Despite their varied backgrounds, the members of the youth brigades have adjusted well. Hardly has one heard of a brigade member having deserted. They are doing their duty with honor. The students have made their contribution. Now the workers must make their contribution. In addition to providing 30,000 brigade members the workers must also work against illiteracy where they work. It has been discovered that there are still many illiterates in working centers. (Editor's Note: At this point Castro cites figures on the number of illiterates and teachers in each province in 1953 and at present, the number of graduates of the literacy campaign, the number being taught now, and other statistics. Five cities have reported having more illiterates now than in 1953. There are now 100,000 members in the literacy brigades.) We must continue to find the illiterates and to teach them. Until the total census is taken, we will not know the right figures. More than 1 million people over 10 years of age do not know how to read and write. Right now there are nearly 700,000 either learning or graduated. The number of those graduated is insignificant compared to the number of illiterates. A supreme effort is necessary to fulfill our goal this year. On 30 August, the municipal literacy campaign committees conference will be held. By then the census will be complete. A gigantic organizational effort has already been made. Such a thing could not be done without mass support. It is a great lesson on what a revolution is. It is a lesson to the enemies of our revolution. Such a plan could not be adopted in many other Latin American nations. The people are too busy struggling against corruption, petty politics, and imperialism to mobilize. We constantly get reports of their demonstrations. They have a more urgent task ahead of them--liberating their countries. Mobilization against illiteracy is possible only when economic exploitation and political oppression are eliminated as they have been here. The governing class could not and did not care to undertake such a task. The illiterate masses were a guarantee for their regime. It used to be the students and workers who protested. Today it is the big exploiters. Of course they do not demonstrate, but that is because they are too few and they do not have the courage. Today when the students devote themselves to building a new world, the discontents and plotters are the reactionary minority. They are the ones who try to impede the revolution, to sabotage it. Imperialism offers educational plans to be carried out in 10 years, they claim; but they will not be fulfilled. The Cuban revolution will show that it can be done in one year. It will be not only a moral victory for our country. This literacy campaign will give opportunities to those who were denied an education for economic and social reasons. What a pity not to be able to read and write, not to go to the movies because one couldn't read the subtitles of the films, which were mostly in foreign languages in Cuba. Our 1,023,849 illiterates were deprived of the literary, artistic, and scientific production of humanity. They must be helped, they must be persuaded that they can study. Some people at first had bad eyesight and they got eye examinations and free glasses. There can and must not be any obstacle. When these illiterates have learned to read and write they will realize what it means culturally, politically, and materially for our nation. You workers must first of all realize that the illiterates are all poor. The literacy campaign directly benefits the poor. This is the great injustice which the revolution is correcting. At the same time, it is of vital importance for the country. There can be no progress without education. It is necessary if we are to carry out the great projects in science and the economy, which the revolution plans. If we are to eradicate poverty and raise our living standard, this is necessary. It is impossible for a people to really do their duty without education. That is why we are so concerned with education. Once this literacy campaign is over, a mass program will begin. Many technical schools will start operation, as well as secondary schools. Every student who completes the sixth grade will have a chance to go to secondary school. Now there are secondary schools in many places were there were none before the revolution. Large schools have been built in almost every small village. All the young people in mills and factories will have a chance to go on to study through scholarships next semester. There will be 20,000 scholarships for students who do not have secondary schools as close at hand. Next semester there will be 3,500 students in teachers' school. By 1964, there will be 12,000 with 3,000 graduating every year. There will also be scholarships for them. We also have 1,000 farmers studying in the USSR. This will give us a formidable generation to carry on the work of the revolution. We ask the workers to join enthusiastically in this great work for them and their sons. This will be the most fruitful work of the revolution. At the same time, we will wage the battle for production. On 25 and 26 August we will meet here with leaders of various groups to set forth our aims for production. We shall attack this with the same enthusiasm we had in defending our country and in the literacy campaign. The enemies of the revolution had illusions of making our people face hardships. But today we own the plants and the land and can carry out our aims. We will discuss all our plans, plant by plant. Every minister will tell what has been done and what can be done. We will know all the materials we have available for the effort. We will face the problems and solve them. The imperialists will be left waiting for the fruits of their aggressions against us. They still do not seem to know what kind of people we are. We have the resources, organization, and enthusiasm to solve many of our problems and avoid unnecessary sacrifices. We should all know what the problems are and how they will be solved so that all the people can participate in the effort. That is why we are going to have two more big meetings this month: the meeting to wage the battle of supply and the municipal literacy campaign committees' meeting. "These two battles are the two most important tasks. And our third task is the struggle to strengthen the military defense of the revolution. One must bear in mind that these three tasks require efforts, the tasks of organization and of military strengthening of the revolution require efforts, men, and resources." The literacy campaign and the task of supplying the country require efforts. These are the three most urgent and immediate tasks of the revolution. We have no doubt that we will fulfill them. Fatherland or death. -END-