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care of younger children, or cultivation of the school garden or fruit
grove. Even younger primary school students usually have some type
of chores or responsibilities to perform during or after school hours
(Paulston, 1980).
Juvenile delinquency
Salas (1979) has done an extensive review of youth in Cuba and
the problem of juvenile delinquency there, and finds that data are very
scarce. However, according to his reports, in 1969, more than half the
youth in the 15- to 17-year-old bracket were neither working or attending
school. Special vocational schools for the difficult children were
established. Children also receive training in proper use of leisure
time through mass youth organizations, Pioneers and Union of Young
Communists. Follow-up data on juvenile problems were not available.
One of the major explanations for the presence of juvenile de
linquency is that capitalism has had a great influence on the culture
of the Cuban people; capitalistic traditions are hard to eradicate.
Educational emphasis has been on love, an emotional quality which is
viewed as being almost completely missing in capitalist societies. Chil
dren are also taught positive attitudes toward work and social responsi
bility. They are encouraged to forget about the profit motive and see
work as a pleasurable activity which provides motivation of its own. The
Cuban Revolution has changed children's attitudes toward their parents
so that now many children see themselves as role models for their
parents. They are encouraged to instruct their parents in new ap
propriate social behavior. This change in role responsibility has