CIENFUEGOS, March 14 (Alina Gonzalo, Cuba-Verdad) - Classes have been
suspended at the secondary "Gustavo Machín" school in this
province to send the students to gather potatoes.
According to a student at the school, on the morning of March 9 a teacher
only identified by his first name as "Lázaro" told 11th grade
students they were to report immediately to the potato picking brigades.
Some students said they didn’t have shoes appropriate for the task. The
teacher reportedly said, "You are going on the fields in sandals or without
shoes."
At eight in the morning the students were transported to the fields to pick.
At midmorning they were given a piece of old bread and some water. "At two
o’clock we had a little bit of rice and some soup for lunch," said the
student.
The decision to send the students to the potato fields was taken between the
local education authorities and officials of the Horquita Agricultural Plan. The
students’ parents were never consulted on the matter.
The potatoes picked here end up on the markets in Havana, say the students.
Versión original
en español
CubaNet does not require sole rights from its
contributors. We authorize the reproduction and distribution of this
article as long as the source is credited.
| 