“The Birth of Volunteer Teachers in Cuba’s Revolution: Filling the Education Gap in the Mountains”

The Volunteer Teachers were born before the problem that the mountains of the country continued without teachers and without schools. The revolution needed teachers to go teach in the mountains, and it called the youth. He solicited young people willing to go to train in the mountains, and thousands of young people showed up to pass the tests and be trained to later go to teach in the mountains.

On April 22, 1960, Fidel called on all young Cubans to cover the positions of rural teachers, on television Channel 2 at 8:00 p.m. and to inform the Cuban people about the different matters of national interest that they were discussing at the time.

On April 23, 1960, the Revolución newspaper published the speech of the appearance and in a box the unique call made by Fidel.

“Dr. Fidel Castro announced last night the call to fill the positions of 1,000 rural teachers, willing to live with the peasants in the mountains, under the sole condition of: Having completed the third year of the Baccalaureate, Commerce or School studies. Normal. Salary will be $100.00. Those who pass the teacher training courses will receive more money. Clarifying that during the first 3 months they will not receive any emolument. Initially they will stay at the Military School of the Mina del Frío, in the Sierra Maestra. The Government will build them the house where they have to live the school where they provide services. Registration: Offices of the Department of Cultural, Technical and Material Assistance to the peasantry in the INRA building (Rancho Boyeros and General Suárez, in Plaza Cívica) or in Tele Mundo, Ambar Motors building, La Rampa, Vedado, Havana.”

Fuente: EcuRed