A tale of two countries, one Christian, one militantly atheistic. US and Cuba, separated by a few miles of warm water. Cuba had roughly one quarter of their population illiterate, while the US had barely 2.5% illiterate, while black illiteracy was almost 10%, and some counties in the US had sharply higher rates.
1961 was interesting year. Cuba had pushed out Batista, nationalized industry, put countless men before the firing squad, and cemented relations with the Soviet Union.
But it also pushed a massive literacy campaign, an eight month long campaign of pushing out into the cities and countryside to erase illiteracy in the country. And it largely succeeded, a success for Castro. Literacy rates neared 100%.
What was the US doing during in 1961? There were many schools which were doing a good job. But that was also the period of Massive Resistance, the establishment of white Christian segregation academies, and the continued underfunding of public schools which catered to black students. Prince Edward County schools remained closed for five years, illiteracy was preferable to integration.
What country presents a model for praise of its literacy programs of that era?
Edit to add: Forgot to mention that Castro started to build an efficient and pervasive school system, rural and urban school system.
1961 was interesting year. Cuba had pushed out Batista, nationalized industry, put countless men before the firing squad, and cemented relations with the Soviet Union.
But it also pushed a massive literacy campaign, an eight month long campaign of pushing out into the cities and countryside to erase illiteracy in the country. And it largely succeeded, a success for Castro. Literacy rates neared 100%.
What was the US doing during in 1961? There were many schools which were doing a good job. But that was also the period of Massive Resistance, the establishment of white Christian segregation academies, and the continued underfunding of public schools which catered to black students. Prince Edward County schools remained closed for five years, illiteracy was preferable to integration.
What country presents a model for praise of its literacy programs of that era?
Edit to add: Forgot to mention that Castro started to build an efficient and pervasive school system, rural and urban school system.
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