Lebanese schools close for a week to protest lack of funds

Public and private schools and professionals in Lebanon tend to stop teaching for a full week, in a warning step announced by the Minister of Education and Higher Education in the interim government, Tareq Al-Majzoub, against the failure of the government. in financially supporting the education sector. in light of difficult economic conditions, as well as the impossibility of securing the foundations. The safe return of teachers and students.
Al-Majzoub told a news conference that the Education Ministry had submitted its files to the government since its formation, including a project to secure £ 500 million for the education sector, or about $ 5 million, according to the black market. price (350 billion for private schools and their families and students and 150 billion for public schools, their families and students), adding: “Unfortunately, it has not been placed on the agenda of any session of the House of Representatives. for approval, despite going through all committees. “
Al-Majzoub criticized the breach of his promise to provide students with an adequate, free or low-cost internet package, so that students can study remotely, referring to other difficulties students face, including the rationing of hours. electricity supply and generators, the exorbitant price and the consequent impediment in the provision of distance education.
During the last weeks, students had faced problems that prevented them from completing the distance education process, due to long hours of power outages, and these obstacles added to material problems, as a large number of parents complained about not being able to acquire a “computer” or “telephone” so that their children can follow the academic course remotely.
At the beginning of the current school year, an agreement was reached with the Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon on a project to support students worth one million pounds (about one hundred dollars), but “it was withdrawn for reasons that they are not convincing ”, according to the description of the Minister of Education.
In his press conference, Al-Majzoub addressed the situation of the private educational sector, noting that its damages are incalculable, from the persistent deficit in the payment of premiums, the inability of institutions to pay teachers’ salaries, the lack of of payment of contributions to the Compensation Fund, and non-payment of compensation for termination of service or teachers’ retirement pensions.
As for the official educational sector, according to Al-Majzoub, the continuous delay in the payment of the fees of the funds of the schools, high schools and technical institutes, as well as the payment of the contributions to the funds of the parents, is no longer tolerable.
On the other hand, Al-Majzoub opposed not giving priority to teachers in the vaccination plan, pointing out that the international organizations concerned, among which “UNICEF” and the World Health Organization stand out, considered that the immunization of the sector The education sector comes in the first stage immediately after the vaccination of health sector workers, but Lebanon Place the education sector in the fourth stage, which means that the vaccination of the sector will not take place during the current year.
The Minister of Education stressed that the education sector now faces two options: either ensure the elements for a safe return to open schools, or completely stop teaching in public and vocational schools in the public and private sectors.