In Cuba, teachers face severe economic challenges, with salaries barely covering basic needs. Many supplement income through second jobs or remittances, leading to an exodus from the profession. Despite this, they continue to educate with resilience.
The bell rings at a school in Havana, signaling not just the start of class, but the beginning of another day of endurance for Cuban teachers. In Safie M. González's account for Havana Times, educators stand before worn-out blackboards and outdated maps, armed with steel patience and a tested vocation, but with monthly salaries ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 Cuban pesos, equivalent to $9–11 USD. This amount matches two or three kilograms of chicken or a pair of cheap shoes in the informal market.
Teacher Yamile explains: “My salary doesn’t even cover a week’s worth of food. Coming to school every day is an act of faith. You open your purse and there’s your pay — a figure that’s almost symbolic, a true irony of the real value placed on our work.” The workday doesn't end when school lets out; many become informal sellers of sweets or coffee, or take night jobs. Those receiving remittances from abroad survive on family help, while younger teachers work on their days off. Exhaustion becomes a constant classroom companion.
This leads to a silent exodus: overcrowded classes and subjects without qualified teachers, such as Physical Education, which vanishes when instructors emigrate or find better pay at gyms. The quality of education—once a historical pride of the Revolution—is crumbling with obsolete materials and constant worries about making ends meet. Older generations recall when teachers' salaries had decent purchasing power, but today, trades requiring less preparation surpass educators' incomes.
The government acknowledges the issue and has implemented salary increases, but these are quickly eroded by runaway inflation. Yet teachers persist: grading exams by candlelight during blackouts, sharing snacks with students, and inventing teaching aids from recycled objects. Their salary does not reflect their worth, but they impart a vital lesson: dignity in the face of neglect and endurance against odds.