Matanzas Restructures 2025-2026 School Year Evaluations

Education authorities in Matanzas, Cuba, have restructured the conclusion of the 2025-2026 school year, implementing modifications to final evaluations across primary, secondary and pre-university levels.

The adjustments to the evaluation process come amid a broader systemic crisis affecting the province’s educational infrastructure. According to reporting from the region, the changes are a response to ongoing challenges that have disrupted the standard academic calendar and instructional delivery.

Staffing and Resource Deficits

The restructuring of final assessments follows a school year marked by significant labor shortages. At the start of the 2025-2026 term on September 1, 2025, teacher coverage in Matanzas was reported at 78.7%.

To address the gap, provincial authorities incorporated 385 students from the Educando program to assist in classrooms. Other reports indicated that schools in Matanzas began the period with a deficit of more than 2,000 professors.

Beyond staffing, the province has struggled with material shortages. Officials previously identified the insufficient production of school uniforms and a failure to meet enrollment targets for pedagogical careers as persistent problems aggravating the educational environment.

Operational Disruptions

Energy instability has further complicated the academic year. Edilberto Casanova Armenteros, the general director of Education in the province, stated in February 2026 that energy failures had impacted the transportation of both students and teaching staff.

In response to these contingencies, the provincial administration moved to decentralize educational centers to mitigate the impact of power outages and transportation hurdles on student attendance and teacher reliability.

The scale of the affected population is significant, with more than 90,000 students enrolled across the province’s 504 educational facilities, including primary schools, secondary schools, and pre-university institutions.

Impact on Academic Evaluation

The decision to modify final evaluations is the latest in a series of adaptive measures taken by the Matanzas education system to ensure students can complete the 2025-2026 cycle despite the operational crises. By restructuring how students are assessed at the end of the year, authorities aim to account for the lost instructional time and the inconsistent delivery of curricula caused by the teacher shortage and energy instability.

These modifications apply to the three primary tiers of the system: primary education, basic secondary education, and pre-university education, ensuring that the transition to the next academic year is not stalled by the inability to conduct traditional final examinations.