Havana, February 19 (RHC) -– Ecuador’s Coordinating Minister of Knowledge and Human Talent, Guillaume Long, praised Cuba's education system, saying that Ecuador does not intend to mirror it, but learn from its advantages.

During a recent visit to Havana, Minister Long told ACN news that Ecuador has both public and private education centers as well as teacher training entities, though the government is now trying to turn education free of charge and unified under a single national vision, similar to Cuba.

“We are building four universities in the fields of Pedagogy, Arts and Natural and Exact Sciences, and we also wish the one we already have in Amazonia to improve its use of the biodiversity around it.” This statement backs the minister’s interest in his recent meeting with his Cuban counterparts of Education, Science and Culture.

Minister Long stressed the attention that Cuba gives to pre-school and elementary education, particularly the children with potential in the areas of sports and the arts.

He said that the early tapping of talents is something the Ecuadorian education system lacks, although they are now focusing on training the professionals that will train the youth at lower levels of the teaching process.