45 years ago, our Commander-in-Chief visited the province of Camagüey for the inauguration of the Máximo Gómez Báez Pre-University Vocational Institute of Exact Sciences, and in his inaugural speech he said … the students of the “Máximo Gómez” school will have the duty, all days, with the dedication to study and work, to honor the memory of Gómez, the memory of Ignacio Agramonte, Martí, Maceo “, Camilo, Che and all those who fought to make today’s homeland possible…

This magnificent work was the second in the country responding to the intention of providing a center of these characteristics to each province. In the 1970s, the school building plan was in full swing. Large schools began to be built, among them vocational schools: secondary and pre-university education centers specialized in the preparation of their students in the exact sciences.

With the triumph of the revolution thus began a new stage in the history of our country where it was radically broken with the previous structures and models of life and a wave of transformations flooded all of Cuba. The construction sector was not left out of these events, the revolutionary state set out to give an immediate response to the problem of housing and education. This work had the architect Reynaldo Togores Fernández, Heriberto Duverger as designer and Carlos López Quintanilla as advisor.

Styles…

The school buildings of the time used the prefabricated Girón system, which had long horizontal blocks, all at the same height, one next to the other. But in the Vocational School, the experience prevailed, thus achieving a concept of a school city, due to its great spaciousness, becoming a true urban complex.

It was a boarding school for 2,500 students who were selected from among the best records of primary education in the province. Thus, with an area of ​​more than 45,000 m2, it included fields and workshops attended by the same students, with an amphitheater, a gym, a theater, a library, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a magnificent dining room and a little room to learn to eat; numerous special classrooms where nothing was missing – choir, dance, etc. – for all levels: secondary and pre-university.

The functional solutions of the school were very good, the distances were short and the distribution of all the buildings was done with a true art.

The Commander expressed his congratulations to its builders … this school speaks very highly, but very highly, of the builders of Camagüey for the quality of the work, for the completion and for the speed with which it has been built, as well as the other school facilities in Camaguey…

A man to honor

The name of the school “Máximo Gómez Báez” was chosen because of its revolutionary trajectory and its link with the history of Camagüey as a well-deserved tribute to its revolutionary spirit and how he fought for our country despite not having been born in this land. It was decided that this school would be named after him. The equestrian statue of the Generalissimo is located in the central nucleus of the school; it was made by the sculptor José Delarra. It stands out for its position on a gentle elevation of the terrain, which makes it very accessible and familiar. A sign of this are the traditional photos of the students next to this statue.

At the end of the speech, the Commander-in-Chief would express … Many times the names of the founders of our country are mentioned and they are treated to honor, but the true honor, the true way of honoring those who fought for our country, are works like this, because they fought precisely for this, they fought for this. And how happy we are today that, on these very lands where the blood of so many patriots was shed, a school like this can be built, a monument like this can be erected in memory of him! …

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García