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school, another gave up an English class, and the fourth met me on a
weekend. It is not known if the work schedules which the other parents
have are as demanding as those of these families. If so, then it was
with very good reason that they could not take time out for an inter
view. Following the interview schedule, the information below was
collected.
1. What is your opinion of the schools in Cuba? All four parents
agreed that the Cuban schools were good. They found the discipline
there very strict. While the parents were not pleased with the moral
or political influence of the school system, which they all viewed as
teaching against the principles of the home, the family, and God, they
agreed that the schools had improved a great deal since the Revolution
in terms of basic education and technological instruction. All com
plained that in order to advance within the system, a student had to
constantly display favor for the government and attend many meetings.
"It was hard," one mother said, when she thought of the work that
needed to be done at home, "to pretend to be interested in all the
political ideas." Two parents said that as long as they were in the
system they urged their children to integrate, to become part of the
political group. One mother said she did everything possible to work
within the system in order to win favors for her children. "Now that
I am here," she said, "I am trying equally hard to help the children
do well in this new system."
2. What are the differences and similarities between schools in
Cuba and here? All parents spoke of the coordinated effort in Cuba for
conformity, for all the schools to be alike. "Here in the U.S. everyone