Cuba says schools to reopen next week, despite energy crisis

HAVANA: Cuba's education minister confirmed on Thursday that the new school year will commence on September 1, despite enduring a severe energy crisis. Minister Naima Trujillo acknowledged that restarting classes would be a challenge in the context of rolling blackouts and chronic food and fuel shortages plaguing the communist-ruled island.

Schools have been instructed to be understanding of late arrivals or students not in uniform, given the crisis' severity. Trujillo stated that having the school year at all would be the biggest challenge. Power outages have been a persistent issue, with the national electricity company reporting recent blackouts in four of eastern Cuba's five provinces caused by a transmission failure.

Washington imposed oil and sanctions on Cuba in January, intensifying the crisis exacerbated by foreign investors' exodus, leading to drastic infrastructure shortages and electricity rationing. Despite the infrastructure collapse, parents like Yannay Miranda, whose daughter is six, are determined to ensure her learning continues next week.