Patriotic education in the Cuban school; a look back into its roots in the period from 1902 to 1958

Abstract

The present work deals with an important issue today: patriotism is at the center of the challenges of globalization. Therefore, it is paramount to reveal the potential of teaching and the schools to strengthen patriotism through the activation of a sense of pride and belonging to one´s country. The Neocolonial period in Cuba marks a moment of relevance for the maintenance of the Cuban roots, and the primary school plays an essential role in this process. This study unveils the connections between pedagogical notions, curricular design and educational practice of the Cuban school from 1902 to 1959. There was a coherent and effective doing in the conformation of a patriotic education at the time. Documentary and testimonial analyses prove so. The application of such methods led to the determination of regularities in the professional performance of teachers and their relation with pedagogical notions, as well as the orientations offered in regulation documents, plans and syllabi.