The economic crisis has ravaged almost every sector in Lebanon, including the education sector. Now, the Minister of Education is sounding the alarm, warning that students might lose an entire school year.
In a meeting with ambassadors and representatives of international organizations, Minister Tarek Al-Majzoub indicated that Lebanon urgently needs international support to avoid losing the upcoming school year, which has become at risk.
“Before the growing burdens that threaten to cost an entire generation for education, we sound the alarm,” he declared.
Al-Majzoub explained, “We will hardly be able to receive all the learners in public schools, especially in the most crowded areas, which may compel us to rent new buildings in the absence of funds for rental and resignation.”
The prevailing crisis has had a direct impact on education in Lebanon this year. With the overall spike in prices, many parents have become unable to afford the fees and expenses of private schools.
Thus, many are opting to transfer their children to the much more affordable public schools, which, as a result, are quickly hitting their capacity limits and leaving an entire generation of students unable to resume their education.
To remedy the problem and save the upcoming school year, the Minister invited “sister and friend countries, associations, and donor countries to understand the scale of the crisis, which is compounding like a snowball.”
He assured that “every penny” received from the international community for this cause will be optimally used to open schools to persist in educating Lebanese nationals as well as refugees.
On that note, Minister Al-Majzoub urged the international community to “secure the safe return of the refugees to their country and work for its reconstruction.”
