Cuba prepares to start school year amid severe supply and staffing shortages

Cuba is set to launch the upcoming school year as scheduled, with roughly 1.4 million children expected to attend classes in early September, according to Education Minister Naima Trujillo. The launch comes amid a deepening crisis marked by rolling blackouts, transport disruptions and intensified U.S. sanctions that have strained the education system. Teacher coverage has slipped to 73%, leading authorities to enlist university students, workers from other sectors, retirees and to transfer about 3,000 teachers from eastern provinces to the understaffed Havana region.

Uniform factories, hampered by power cuts, can supply only 12% of the needed garments for primary pupils, prompting officials to tell schools to allow students to wear comfortable clothes alongside the traditional red neckerchief. The government plans to offer extra compensation to retain staff and keep schools operational despite the hardships.