About 110 Cuban teachers are expected to return to Bahamian classrooms next week under a revised hiring system the government adopted after U.S. warnings about its previous recruitment arrangements with Havana.
Education Director Dominique McCartney-Russell confirmed yesterday that the teachers, whose contracts remain active, will resume their posts, while others will not return because their agreements have expired. She described the Cuban educators as critical in addressing shortages across several subject areas.
“We have been priding ourselves on ensuring that we could provide access to all children, and so it is certainly a sigh of relief for us, even though we are still in need of teachers,” McCartney-Russell said. “Their support is key to ensuring that we’re able to provide the experiential opportunities for our children.”
She added that despite earlier uncertainty, she expects the teachers to arrive. “Some of them were quite uncertain and they were reaching out, asking questions, and so we expect that they will return,” she said.
The government restructured its Cuban recruitment model earlier this year after U.S. officials raised concerns that the previous system — which operated through state-run agencies in Havana — amounted to forced labor. Leaked documents showed that the Cuban government retained most of the salaries paid by The Bahamas, while workers received only a fraction. Washington warned that participation in such schemes could lead to visa sanctions against Bahamian officials and their families.
In June, Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Michael Darville announced that future Cuban professionals would be hired directly by the government rather than through intermediaries. Recruitment trips to Cuba have since been cancelled, with officials also turning to the United States, Canada, and retired Bahamian teachers to help close staffing gaps.
McCartney-Russell said six additional Cuban teachers were shortlisted during a recent ministry job fair, but the system still faces a shortfall of 30 to 35 teachers. Current vacancies include eight language arts teachers, seven technical studies teachers, seven performing arts teachers, six early childhood teachers, three physical education teachers, and six health and family life teachers.
Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson criticized the ministry for cancelling Cuban recruitment trips without consulting the union.
Officials previously reported that 130 Cuban teachers were employed in Bahamian schools.
