Sowing Vocations to Harvest the Future

Cuba needs young people who choose teaching and the exact sciences with conviction. That decision begins at school, with solid and well-planned vocational guidance.

Pedagogical schools and the Vocational Institutes of Exact Sciences occupy a key place in that task. There the course of thousands of adolescents is defined, and the foundations are created for the future development of our society.

Being a teacher is not just any job; it is a mission with a multiplying effect. A good teacher leaves a mark on hundreds of students throughout their career.

Mathematics, physics, and chemistry sustain technological progress; without those bases, no country advances in energy, health, industry, or food production.

Guiding in time is decisive: a young person with a true inclination studies with pleasure, perseveres in the face of difficulties, and achieves better results. Whoever chooses under pressure or by chance usually abandons the path.

Guidance demands concrete actions such as visits to workplaces, meetings with outstanding professionals, and practices in laboratories and classrooms bring each career closer to the student. The example of a good teacher convinces more than any speech.

The institutes themselves also have a responsibility: their faculty must awaken curiosity, reward effort, and show that knowledge opens doors. An active laboratory and an enjoyable class are worth more than a thousand slogans.

The family also counts. Many parents are unaware of the opportunities in teaching and the sciences. Informing them broadens their children’s horizon.

Telling stories of Cuban teachers and scientists inspires the youngest and restores prestige to these professions.

Social recognition completes the circle: a teacher respected and valued in their community becomes an example. Young people want to be like those they admire.

The country needs teachers at all levels of education. Each committed graduate helps cover that need; each student attracted to science strengthens the capacity to innovate.

Betting on these schools is equivalent to betting on development and national sovereignty. Today the teachers of the next generations are being prepared. Tomorrow, their students will lead classrooms, laboratories, and factories.

The moment to sow is now. Matanzas needs to train its teachers and scientists. So be it!