Education in Cuba: School Stages, Technical Routes and University Admission

Cuba’s education system combines a common compulsory foundation with several routes into academic study, skilled occupations and teacher preparation. The crucial decisions come after Grade 9 and again after upper-secondary study. In 2026, understanding the system also means checking which arrangements belong to the present intake and which describe the longer-standing structure.

Reviewed: 17 October 2026. This guide distinguishes the school ladder from annual admission decisions and from the flexible delivery arrangements operating in 2026/27. Ordinary ages describe uninterrupted progression. A national policy or a published programme does not establish the timetable, resources or available places at every institution.

Cuba education system at a glance

Question	Quick answer
Compulsory foundation	Six years of primary education followed by three years of secundaria básica, normally beginning at age six.
After Grade 9	Preuniversitario, technical and professional education, and other specialised routes have different entry conditions and awards.
Academic upper secondary	Preuniversitario covers Grades 10–12 and leads to the bachiller qualification.
Language	Spanish is the ordinary teaching language; foreign-language study is a separate curriculum component.
Current intake caution	The 2026/27 university intake has exceptional arrangements. See the admission chapter before using an older entrance-exam guide.
Higher qualifications	Técnico superior, university professional degrees, postgraduate specialities, master’s degrees and scientific doctorates occupy different positions.

1. The school ladder: what is actually compulsory

The common sequence is primary Grades 1–6, then secundaria básica Grades 7–9. Ordinary entry is at six; lower secondary begins around twelve and finishes around fourteen or fifteen. Cuba’s government report to UNESCO identifies both stages as compulsory. It describes upper-secondary education as free but non-compulsory. Preschool is also outside compulsory schooling. Cuba’s 2024 report, sections on school stages.

This distinction prevents two common misunderstandings. Grade 9 completion is a significant qualification point, but it is not the same as completing the academic route to Grade 12. Conversely, a free upper-secondary place should not be described as three additional legally compulsory years simply because continuing education is strongly encouraged.

For a child entering from another system, compare completed learning and records rather than translating an age into a Cuban grade automatically. A twelve-year-old who has not completed the preceding primary curriculum may need a different placement discussion from a child of the same age with complete records. The receiving education authority should establish the placement and any bridging work. This guide does not assign an unverified national birthday cutoff to the ordinary age-six entry rule.

2. Early childhood: circles, preschool and family-supported learning

The Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación, MINED) describes early-childhood education as covering birth to six. Institutional provision includes círculos infantiles and preschool classes associated with primary schools. The non-institutional programme Educa a tu Hijo supports families in undertaking educational activities with their children. It is an organised family-and-community approach, rather than simply another name for a kindergarten place. MINED early-childhood overview.

The ministry describes circles as serving children from about age one and supporting the needs of working mothers. Their educational work sits alongside care routines, meals and rest. A family’s actual admission and attendance arrangements therefore involve more than deciding whether a child is ready to learn letters. Institutional early-childhood provision.

At about age five, the preparatory preschool year becomes the immediate bridge into primary education. Families should establish the child’s available setting, the actual attendance schedule and how learning at home connects with that setting. Government report on early-childhood organisation.

A useful home routine includes conversation, stories, sorting everyday objects, movement and play with others. The practical goal is participation and communication, not making a preschool child complete a miniature Grade 1 syllabus. Ask how the educator will communicate developmental concerns and how the receiving primary school will learn about support already provided.

3. Primary school: six grades with two internal cycles

MINED divides primary education into a first cycle of Grades 1–4 and a second of Grades 5–6. Its ordinary age range is six to eleven. Rural provision can include graded, partly combined and multigrade arrangements. A small rural classroom may therefore organise pupils differently from a large urban school while working within the same national stage. MINED description of primary education.

The six-grade structure matters when interpreting a report. Finishing Grade 4 completes the first internal cycle, not the whole primary stage. Grades 5 and 6 provide the remaining preparation before the move into lower secondary. Parents can use that transition to check whether reading comprehension, written explanation and arithmetic are becoming independent rather than remaining dependent on a familiar classroom routine.

In a multigrade setting, ask how teacher-directed work and independent tasks are divided. A child working without the teacher beside them is not necessarily receiving no instruction; the important questions are whether the task is suitable and whether the teacher checks understanding. Equally, a published national model cannot establish that a particular school currently has all its planned teaching time. The 2026/27 operational arrangements discussed later are essential context for interpreting attendance and progress.

4. Spanish, the curriculum and political formation

Spanish is the ordinary language of school learning. MINED’s programme repository includes Spanish language, mathematics, English, history, sciences, geography, computing, physical education and other areas. Foreign-language study should not be confused with an English-medium school system. The repository also identifies political-culture content, alongside the academic subjects. MINED programmes under the third educational improvement process.

Cuba’s curriculum has an explicitly political and civic purpose. The ministry’s preuniversitario description links education with socialist values and preparation for participation in the country’s economic and social development. This is part of the official educational model, not a claim that the school curriculum is politically neutral. MINED statement of preuniversitario aims.

For a newcomer, conversational Spanish and academic Spanish are different challenges. Understanding a conversation does not necessarily mean being able to explain a mathematical method, compare historical interpretations or write a laboratory account. Bring examples of previous work so that the school can separate a language barrier from a subject gap.

The ministry also publishes methodological guidance for subjects and learning activities. Families seeking to support a child should ask which current programme and materials the class is using, rather than relying on an old textbook found online. Official methodological resources.

5. Secundaria básica: the common foundation through Grade 9

The three lower-secondary grades broaden the pupil’s subject learning before the major branching point. MINED distinguishes urban basic-secondary schools (Escuelas Secundarias Básicas Urbanas, ESBU) from rural boarding basic-secondary schools (Escuelas Secundarias Básicas en el Campo, ESBEC). Specialist arts and sports settings also appear in its description of provision. These institutional categories are more informative than assuming that every adolescent attends the same type of neighbourhood day school. MINED lower-secondary overview.

Boarding and specialist arrangements affect family life as well as curriculum. Establish where the pupil sleeps, how often travel is expected, what happens when transport is disrupted and how contact with teachers is maintained. For arts or sports pathways, separate the general school qualification from the specialist training and selection requirements.

Grade 9 is the point to compare several possible futures. A learner interested in machinery may want an occupational route; another may prefer the broader academic preparation of preuniversitario. Neither choice should be reduced to a judgement that one pupil is “clever” and another is “practical”. Compare the actual award, subjects, placement opportunities and subsequent study options. The allocation process also reflects the places planned for the territory, which makes early guidance more useful than waiting until the last report.

6. After Grade 9: preferences meet a planned supply of places

Cuba links educational continuation with workforce planning. The September 2026 regulation on qualified labour provides for plans covering Grade 9 progression into technical education and preuniversitario, higher-education entry, and continuation for Grade 12 graduates who do not enter higher education. Its planning factors include local demand, training capacity and available school graduates. Resolution 58/2026, Articles 9–13 and 21, in the original Gazette PDF accessed through a mirror.

The same regulation uses three-year and two-year forecasting horizons for técnico medio and obrero calificado graduates respectively. These are useful evidence of the planning structure; they should not replace the current curriculum’s duration for every speciality, entry qualification or adult route. The regulation took effect seven days after its 18 September 2026 publication. The regulation also links advance placement to official assignment for graduates’ social service. A prospective student should establish how the applicable placement and service obligations affect their own route before planning employment after graduation.

For a family, the practical implication is that aspiration, eligibility and available places are three separate questions. Obtain the actual territorial offer and identify the qualification attached to each option. Then discuss what the student wants to do, what preparation the programme requires and what alternatives would still make educational sense if the first choice is unavailable.

MINED lists continuation-of-study services within its official procedures. Use the school and the relevant municipal or provincial education office to resolve the current process. A placement list from another province, or an older national explanation, cannot establish this year’s local offer. MINED procedures and services.

7. Preuniversitario: Grades 10–12 and the bachiller

Preuniversitario is the academic upper-secondary route. It comprises Grades 10, 11 and 12 and leads to the bachiller qualification. Its purpose includes broad general preparation and readiness for further education. It is therefore useful to distinguish completion of this stage from admission to a particular university degree. MINED explanation of preuniversitario.

For 2026 entry to the Institutos Preuniversitarios Vocacionales de Ciencias Exactas (IPVCE), officials waived the admission examination while retaining study requirements. This was a course-specific adjustment. Official reporting of the May 2026 ministerial announcement.

A prospective applicant should investigate the science curriculum, boarding arrangements and expectations after entry, rather than treating an exceptional absence of an entrance test as the absence of academic demands. For any preuniversitario, build a record of subject strengths before selecting university preferences. A student attracted to the title of a degree may discover that its daily work depends on a subject they have not yet learned confidently. Grade 10 and Grade 11 are valuable time for resolving that mismatch.

8. Technical and professional education: distinguish the awards

Technical and professional education, or Educación Técnica y Profesional (ETP), prepares learners for occupational activity through general, basic and specialist study. MINED describes both técnico medio and obrero calificado profiles, connecting school-based preparation with work in productive and service settings. The curriculum is not simply time spent working: it includes the knowledge and competencies needed to carry out the occupation. ETP curriculum organisation; MINED graduate profiles.

The awards have different progression consequences. MINED’s FAQ states that técnico medio is an upper-secondary qualification equivalent in level to the bachiller for continuing study. A graduate does not need to complete a Facultad Obrero Campesina programme merely to establish that level. This does not mean automatic admission to the preferred university degree. MINED qualification and continuation FAQ.

When evaluating a course, record its exact title, entry qualification, current duration, practical component and final award. Do not assume that an obrero calificado award and a técnico medio award give identical higher-study eligibility. Ask what further qualification would be needed for the learner’s intended next step.

Practical learning deserves its own scrutiny. For a maintenance course, for example, find out which equipment learners actually use, how safe working practices are assessed and how a supervisor records competence. A placement can be educationally valuable, but merely being present at a workplace is not evidence that the student has mastered the occupational tasks.

9. Teacher preparation is another distinct route

Cuba has upper-secondary pedagogical training as well as university-level preparation for education professions. MINED identifies routes associated with preschool, primary and special education, among others. Its guidance distinguishes these institutions from the university programmes that award education degrees. MINED teacher-training admission overview.

The ministry’s FAQ describes a four-year pedagogical-school programme and a route into the corresponding university education degree through curso por encuentros. Such progression has its own conditions and organisation; it is not evidence that every school-leaver enters a full-time university degree immediately. MINED explanation of pedagogical continuation.

For a learner considering teaching, compare the age group they hope to teach, the subject or specialism, supervised practice and the qualification awarded at each stage. “Training to be a teacher” can refer to different points on that ladder. Ask how school practice is supervised and how further study fits alongside employment. A practical trial, such as explaining a simple idea to a younger learner with appropriate adult supervision, can also reveal whether the student enjoys the patient, responsive work of teaching rather than only the idea of the profession.

10. Assessment: read the school year as well as the grade

For 2025/26, MINED moved completion to 15–30 June, using accumulated performance and flexible recovery assessments. It announced levelling for the following year. May 2026 explanation of school-year completion.

Consequently, an older calendar listing later final examinations should not be used to reconstruct what every pupil actually sat in June or July 2026. Nor should the altered closure be interpreted as proof that every learning objective was securely achieved. The final record and the next teacher’s assessment answer different questions: one documents the formal outcome, while the other helps identify the work still needed.

Keep subject results, teacher comments and any recovery decisions together. If a report seems inconsistent with the child’s present ability, ask which evidence supported the result and which topics will be revisited. For a pupil transferring school, this is more useful than presenting an unexplained average. A short sample of independent reading, writing and mathematical work can help the new teacher plan support, especially after an interrupted timetable. Families should obtain the current assessment instructions directly from the school rather than assume one national examination format applies unchanged to every stage.

11. 2026/27 delivery: the published school model and the actual week

The school year opened in September 2026 under flexible arrangements. Officials described differences in attendance patterns, start times and organisation according to transport, food, staffing and local conditions. Some schools could sustain both daily sessions; others needed different patterns. The education minister also said that lack of a uniform should not exclude a child from school. Official reporting on the 2026/27 opening.

These constraints are independently documented. UNESCO’s February 2026 appeal described the effects of fuel and energy shortages on transport, meals and educational continuity. Its proposed support for renewable energy was a programme objective, not proof that all affected schools had already received equipment. UNESCO education-continuity appeal.

The useful household plan is therefore an actual weekly plan: which days and hours are in person, what work is expected between sessions, where materials can be collected and how missed contact is repaired. Do not make continuous internet access the only way a child can receive instructions. Ask for a workable offline arrangement when electricity or connectivity is unreliable.

This is also a reason to avoid judging a school solely by a national model or a photograph of a well-resourced classroom. Compare the learning opportunities currently delivered and the school’s response when a session, meal or journey cannot operate as planned.

12. University admission: the exceptional 2026/27 decision

For the 2026/27 intake, authorities suspended the university entrance examinations exceptionally and based allocation on the preuniversitario academic index. Applicants submitted up to ten preferences through the announced process. The assurance of a place for applicants was not a guarantee of their first-choice degree. Officials explicitly distinguished this decision from the rules for future years. Current-intake announcement.

For comparison, the 2025 process used examinations in mathematics, Spanish and Cuban history. Its allocation sequence prioritised applicants passing all three with at least 60 points, then included further groups with different results or entry backgrounds. Even that process was more nuanced than saying that anyone below 60 was categorically barred from all higher education. This is a dated comparison, not the instruction for the 2026/27 intake. Official explanation of allocation in 2025.

An applicant should verify the academic record used, the correct entry category and the consequences of each preference. Include alternatives the learner would genuinely consider. The absence of the usual examination does not remove capacity limits, specialist requirements or the need to complete enrolment. Applicants from technical education, adult education or an earlier cohort should obtain the instructions for their own category rather than assume every provision addressed to the current preuniversitario cohort automatically covers them.

13. Day courses, periodic meetings and distance study

Cuban higher education distinguishes curso diurno, curso por encuentros and distance study. The University of Havana describes separate admission arrangements for these modes. Periodic-meeting and distance provision can involve selection when demand exceeds available places; the mode label does not mean admission is unrestricted. Its general website still includes older day-course examination information, so the annual intake notice must be read alongside it. University of Havana undergraduate routes.

For 2026/27, the Ministry of Higher Education (Ministerio de Educación Superior, MES) described increased decentralisation, blended learning and use of municipal centres and local productive or service settings. These arrangements respond to the practical conditions of the year. They should not be confused with a permanent conversion of every degree to fully online study. Official television reporting of MES’s current arrangements.

Compare contact sessions, independent study, laboratory or workplace requirements and assessment locations. A student who can study at home may still need to travel for practical work or examinations. An employed applicant should establish which obligations require attendance during working hours and how changes will be communicated.

For a school-leaver, the best mode is not necessarily the one with the fewest journeys. It is the one in which they can realistically complete the learning and practical requirements with the support available.

14. Higher qualifications: concrete duration and progression examples

A técnico superior is a higher-education qualification above técnico medio and below a full university professional degree. The University of Havana describes these short-cycle programmes as lasting two to three years, with theoretical and practical learning and a workplace component. The award is not interchangeable with the similarly named upper-secondary técnico medio. University of Havana explanation of técnico superior.

University professional degrees have programme-specific study plans. One concrete example is the University of Havana’s Higher Institute of Design, ISDi: its industrial-design and visual-communication-design programmes each comprise four academic years, with two semesters per year. This supports a real four-year example without imposing that duration on every Cuban degree. University of Havana faculty and institute descriptions.

Another example is the University of Cienfuegos transport-engineering programme described in official reporting in 2024: four years in the day-course mode, with learning linked to transport organisations. That combination illustrates why a degree’s practical setting matters alongside its duration. Transport-engineering programme example.

Before planning a transfer or later postgraduate study, obtain the exact award title, curriculum, workload and completed practical requirements. A short-cycle award may offer valuable occupational preparation, but credit recognition into a longer degree must be confirmed by the receiving institution. Similar subject names do not establish automatic advanced standing.

15. Postgraduate awards, scientific degrees and quality checks

Cuba distinguishes professional updating from academic postgraduate qualifications. The University of Havana lists courses, training and diplomados alongside specialities, master’s degrees and doctorates. A diplomado should therefore not be translated automatically as a master’s degree merely because it follows university study. University of Havana postgraduate overview.

The postgraduate regulation published in Gazette 65/2019 defines one academic credit as 30 hours of total learner work. It sets a minimum of 15 credits for a diplomado and 60 for a master’s or postgraduate speciality, with the relevant completion requirements. These are Cuban postgraduate credits, not an automatic conversion into another country’s credit system. The scientific-degree framework also distinguishes a doctorate in an area of knowledge from the higher Doctor en Ciencias award. Official postgraduate and scientific-degree legislation hosted by the University of Havana.

For quality checks, the Junta de Acreditación Nacional, JAN, is Cuba’s national accreditation body. It is listed in the official members directory of the Ibero-American accreditation network RIACES. Ask the institution for the current accreditation decision covering the precise programme and its validity, rather than relying on an undated claim of excellence. RIACES official members directory.

Academic recognition and permission to practise an occupation are separate checks. A qualification accepted for further study elsewhere may still require professional registration or additional evidence before its holder can work in a regulated field.

16. Free education, practical costs and support needs

Cuba’s constitutional framework provides free education, while allowing specified postgraduate or complementary activities to carry charges under law. That principle does not establish that every family expense, journey or material is always supplied without difficulty. Government report on the constitutional education guarantee.

Foreign applicants need a separate funding check. The University of Havana distinguishes government or institutional agreements, scholarship arrangements and self-financed study. A general statement that Cuban education is free should not be used as a fee quotation for an international applicant. Obtain the written offer and clarify tuition, accommodation, meals, insurance and any language preparation. University of Havana information for foreign students.

For children needing additional educational support, MINED identifies municipal Centros de Diagnóstico y Orientación, or CDO, as multidisciplinary guidance services. Its published service guide allows families to seek orientation and describes formal assessment for special-education placement. MINED guidance on diagnosis and orientation services.

The new childhood, adolescence and youth code entered force on 28 January 2026. UNICEF highlights its protections against violence, inclusive approach to disability and requirement to hear children in decisions affecting them. These are legal commitments whose implementation must still be assessed. Ask how the school will hear the learner’s own account, arrange support and respond to a concern. UNICEF explanation of the code’s entry into force.

17. Adult education and the records needed for a move

Cuba’s adult-education ladder includes Educación Obrera y Campesina, Secundaria Obrera y Campesina and Facultad Obrero Campesina, commonly abbreviated EOC, SOC and FOC. MINED’s published guide connects these with completion at Grades 6, 9 and 12 respectively. Despite the word Facultad, FOC is an upper-secondary completion route, not a university faculty awarding a degree. The guide is an older ministry resource, so current enrolment and scheduling should be confirmed locally. MINED adult-education guide.

An adult learner should first identify the highest completed qualification and the intended destination. Someone with incomplete basic education needs a different plan from a técnico medio graduate seeking university entry. Enrolling in the wrong stage can waste time and may repeat learning that is already formally recognised.

For movement into, within or out of Cuba, keep a qualification file: certificates, subject results, dates of attendance, practical-training records and any official recognition decisions. MINED’s procedures page includes educational continuation and recognition services; use the current service instructions for the precise document and destination. MINED administrative services.

Do not assume that a translated certificate alone resolves equivalence. The receiving institution may need to understand the level and content behind the title. Equally, do not arrange costly authentication based solely on an old online checklist. Establish which authority will assess the document and what that authority currently requires before commissioning translations or legalisation.

18. Three practical examples of choosing the next step

A Grade 9 pupil interested in electrical work

The family compares an available technical programme with preuniversitario. They record the actual award, entry conditions and practical learning, then ask what each route permits afterwards. The important distinction is between learning an occupation now and preparing for a later university programme. If engineering remains a goal, they check the route from the proposed technical qualification into higher education instead of assuming that all technical awards lead there identically.

A current upper-secondary applicant choosing university preferences

The student starts with the applicable intake notice and checks the school record used in allocation. They list genuinely acceptable programmes, including where each is delivered and the practical attendance requirements. A place in a degree that cannot be realistically attended may be less useful than a suitable local alternative. Before accepting an outcome, they clarify enrolment and any permitted reconsideration process rather than relying on a promised first choice.

A returning adult with previous vocational study

The learner brings the completed qualification and transcript to the receiving institution. The first task is to establish the recognised level, not to assume that several years away from education erase the earlier award. They then compare the relevant university or completion route, contact sessions, independent work and practical obligations. A sustainable study plan identifies when learning will happen during an ordinary working week and what happens if transport or electricity interrupts it.

In each example, the decision becomes clearer when the learner separates four things: what they have already completed, the qualification they are seeking, the selection process and the conditions under which they will actually study.

19. Frequently asked questions

Is all schooling through Grade 12 compulsory?

No. The compulsory foundation comprises primary and basic secondary education. Continuing beyond Grade 9 is a separate stage with academic, occupational and specialised options. Free provision and compulsory attendance are different concepts.

Is bachiller a university bachelor’s degree?

No. In this context, bachiller is the academic upper-secondary qualification. Do not translate it as a completed university degree on an application or curriculum vitae.

Are técnico medio and técnico superior the same award?

No. Técnico medio belongs to upper-secondary technical education. Técnico superior is a short-cycle higher-education qualification. The similar names make it especially important to retain the original award title and explain its level.

Have university entrance examinations been abolished permanently?

No. The 2026/27 decision was expressly exceptional. Later applicants need their own intake instructions.

Does an available university place mean the preferred degree is guaranteed?

No. An overall place assurance does not eliminate programme capacity, preference ordering or category-specific requirements. Verify the actual allocation and complete the required enrolment steps.

Does curso por encuentros mean there is no attendance requirement?

No. Establish the scheduled meetings, practical learning and assessment obligations. Independent study is part of the commitment, not evidence that the qualification can be completed without structured academic work.

Can a family rely on the same timetable throughout the country?

For 2026/27, local operating arrangements are particularly important. Obtain the current school or faculty schedule and a reliable way to receive updates. Keep learning materials and instructions accessible when online access is interrupted.

What is the most useful first question when comparing programmes?

Ask, “What exact qualification will this programme award, and what does it allow me to apply for next?” Then check selection, duration, practical requirements and delivery. A familiar institution name or a reassuring course label cannot answer those questions on its own.

Official sources and scope

Sources include the Ministry of Education (MINED), the University of Havana, Cuba’s government report to UNESCO, legislation and official reporting of ministerial announcements. Current 2026 decisions take precedence over older general descriptions for the intake or school year they specify. Gazette documents accessed through mirrors are identified as such. Practical examples in this guide are illustrative, not official placement decisions.

• Cuba’s 2024 government report to UNESCO — Compulsory stages, ordinary ages, early childhood and the constitutional framework; historical reporting is not treated as a 2026 delivery census.
• MINED: early childhood — Institutional and family-supported routes.
• MINED: institutional early childhood — Circle provision and care alongside education.
• MINED: primary education — Six grades, internal cycles and rural organisation.
• MINED: programmes of study — Subject provision under the third educational improvement process.
• MINED: methodological guidance — Official teaching resources; local current materials still need confirmation.
• MINED: basic secondary education — School types; undated enrolment figures are deliberately not reproduced.
• MINED: preuniversitario — Academic upper-secondary structure, qualification and stated purposes.
• Official Gazette 78/2026, original PDF accessed through a mirror — Resolution 58/2026: planning, continuation and qualified-labour allocation. The official host was inaccessible during verification.
• MINED: procedures and services — Continuation, support and educational-document services.
• MINED: technical and professional curriculum — General, basic and specialist learning.
• MINED: occupational graduate profiles — Técnico medio, obrero calificado and occupational competencies.
• MINED: frequently asked questions — Technical qualification level and pedagogical progression; current admissions must be checked separately.
• MINED: teacher-training admission — Distinction between pedagogical-school and university routes.
• May 2026 ministerial announcements, reported by Granma — Exceptional school-year completion, IPVCE entry and 2026/27 university admission.
• August 2026 school-opening announcements, reported by Granma — Flexible local organisation and uniform policy.
• UNESCO: education continuity in Cuba, February 2026 — Independent documentation of energy, transport and school-service constraints.
• 2025 university allocation explanation, Granma — A clearly dated comparison; not the 2026/27 intake rule.
• University of Havana: undergraduate study — Modes and short-cycle qualifications; older general entrance-exam statements are superseded for the exceptional current intake.
• MES 2026/27 explanation, reported by CNC television — Current decentralised, blended and municipal delivery arrangements.
• University of Havana: faculties and institutes — Concrete four-year design-programme example.
• University of Cienfuegos transport-engineering example — Four-year day-course programme and practical links, reported in 2024.
• University of Havana: postgraduate study — Professional updating and academic postgraduate routes.
• Official Gazette 65/2019, hosted by the University of Havana — Postgraduate credit framework and scientific-degree legislation.
• RIACES: official members directory — Lists Cuba’s JAN; applicants should obtain the current programme-specific accreditation decision.
• University of Havana: foreign students — Scholarship, agreement and self-financed arrangements.
• MINED: diagnosis and orientation services — Family access to educational guidance and formal assessment.
• MINED: adult education guide — EOC, SOC and FOC levels; older guide used for structure, not current enrolment dates.
• UNICEF: childhood, adolescence and youth code, January 2026 — Entry into force and the distinction between rights guarantees and implementation.

Continue exploring education

Use the eduKateSG Education Hub to connect this country guide with wider questions about learning, school transitions and family support. Compare actual programme requirements and qualifications before translating a school year or award into another education system.

This guide belongs to eduKate’s planned 195-country education-system series. Compare the Bhutan education-system guide for a different school and qualification structure, or browse the country guides in the Education Hub.