Cuban schools resume classes amid persistent fuel, water and power crises

On the first day of the academic year, more than 10,000 schools across Cuba welcomed roughly 1.4 million children and 135,000 teachers, even as the island grapples with ongoing fuel, electricity and water shortages. School buses are out of service, forcing families like the Barrosos to rely on borrowed animals for transport after thieves killed their own horse. Teacher vacancies have driven the government to send over 3,000 instructors from eastern regions to Havana, with overall coverage falling to 73% due to low pay and emigration.

Uniform production has met only 12% of primary-level demand, and many schools report just a two-week food supply, prompting parents to supply meals and basic supplies. Education Minister Naima Trujillo Barreto urged retirees, professionals and university students to assist, while students cope with classroom temperatures above 90 °F and frequent power cuts.