Caribbean News Now!

HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- Cuban government vice-president Miguel Diaz-Canel on Thursday inaugurated in Havana the first meeting of education ministers from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

The challenges facing the education sector and their solutions through regional coordination are at the centre of attention of 10 CELAC education ministers, representatives of 24 countries and of the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) and the Children Fund.

In his opening remarks at the forum, the Cuban vice-president stressed the setting up in December 2011 of the regional bloc in Caracas, Venezuela, to promote its member nations’ independent and sustainable development, peace and regional security through political, economic, social and cultural integration.

In order to achieve these goals, the organization needs to reach high-quality education for the populations of its member nations, since social justice, fair wealth distribution, real freedom and sovereignty are not possible to achieve without education and culture, the vice-president pointed out.

The statement was backed by Cuban education minister Ena Elsa Velazquez, who said that, although the region has reached advancement over the past 10 years, some countries could not meet the commitment to achieve high-quality education by 2015.

In addition to the meeting of education ministers, a meeting of culture ministers of the Community will be held this year in Paramaribo, Suriname, and other meetings will also take place to tackle issues related to infrastructure, the need to reach a new regional architecture and the struggle against drugs.

Reads: 1613


Tweet