Cuban Army Soldier Reflects on Time as an Emergency Teacher: "Another Failed Experiment by the Regime"

A Cuban social media user known as @el_pepe9o, who frequently shares personal stories online, recently posted a video recounting his experience as an emergency teacher in Cuba at the age of 16. "Long before I donned this uniform, my working life in Cuba began at just 16. I was part of yet another failed experiment by the regime—an emergency teacher," he starts in the video. This account, filled with personal memories and criticism of the educational system, has gone viral, resonating with many who have faced similar situations.

In 2007, at just 16, he became "Professor Pepe," a teenager responsible for a second-grade classroom with 25 children. He explains that his preparation was a "crash course of merely six months with limited resources and minimal guidance." The incentives for joining this program included avoiding mandatory military service and gaining university admission without entrance exams. "Many young people, like me, became teachers not out of a calling, but for personal benefit," he states.

The young man recalls the disbelief of the parents upon seeing him as a teacher for the first time. "The look of shock and uncertainty," he describes, was palpable. His salary was "425 Cuban pesos a month, which at that time was roughly $17."

The testimony concludes with a reflection on the long-term effects of such policies: "If you wonder why the vast majority of today's Cuban generations can't speak properly, lack formal education, can't write or think critically, it's thanks to the revolution." Numerous comments on the post share similar experiences, such as having very young teachers or being former emergency teachers themselves. Other parents expressed how challenging it was to entrust their children's education to teenagers. One user wrote, "My son had a 16-year-old teacher from 1st to 3rd grade, and it was a real challenge to make him understand he had to listen to her."

There were also those who appreciated the creator's honesty, especially his closing words: "I want to take this opportunity to apologize to all my former students for any mistakes I must have made, though despite all the negatives, I loved watching them grow."

Days before posting this video, @el_pepe9o shared that he had been promoted to sergeant in the U.S. Army, being one of only two soldiers in his specialty to receive such a promotion this month. "After months of effort, frustration, and a lot of patience... Finally SGT Avalo!" he wrote alongside a video of him receiving his insignia.

His story has struck a chord with many Cubans who have emigrated, worked as emergency teachers, or experienced the educational crisis on the island in recent decades. The concept of the emergency teacher arose during the so-called Battle of Ideas and was one of the most controversial measures implemented by Fidel Castro's regime to address the shortage of educators. Teenagers as young as 16 or 17, lacking sufficient pedagogical training, were placed in charge of classrooms. The experiment left noticeable impacts on the educational quality of an entire generation.

During that time, many classrooms in Cuba turned into a complete mess. The poor preparation of the teachers and their lack of experience led to a total disillusionment among parents and students. The emergency teacher program was part of a series of hasty measures that negatively affected the country's trajectory.