Children Are the Hope of the World 1998
Distributed by The Cinema Guild, 1967 Broadway, Suite 506, New York, NY 10019; 800-723-5522
Produced by Lázaro Fariñas
Directed by Lazario Farinas
VHS, color, 30 min.
High School - Adult
Education, Sociology, Latin American Studies
Date Entered: 11/09/2018
Reviewed by Lori Foulke, Milton S. Eisenhower Library, Johns Hopkins UniversityOpening and closing with quotes by Jose Marti, this video provides a glimpse into the education system of Cuba and Cuba's ongoing commitment to educating her children. As a socialist country, Cuba's schools are all public and administered entirely by the state. Education in Cuba is free, universal and mandatory, and if high literacy rates (Cuba's rival those of the United States) are any indication, highly effective. The video highlights six different schools in Cuba: 1) a "countryside" rural school which combines academic studies with cooperative farming; 2) an urban elementary school; 3) a school combing academics with formal ballet training; 4) an urban "specialty" school which emphasizes sports education; 5) a school for students with special needs (physical, developmental, and behavioral disabilities); and 6) a preschool.
The profiling of six very different schools effectively highlights the diversity of programs within the Cuban educational system while also emphasizing the common threads of discipline, hard work, and the striving of children to attain their goals and dreams.
This video would be useful in comparative education classes, as well as general social studies classes, and is appropriate for use in high school or college courses. While the subject matter is also of interest to elementary school audiences, the extensive use of subtitles would make it challenging for a young audience.
Recommended.