Contract teachers on Saturday rejected returning to work before their demands are met. (Credit: Reuters/Mohamed Azakir)
BEIRUT — The committee of contract teachers in public primary and secondary schools on Saturday said they would not return to their jobs until the Education Ministry meets their labor demands.
Here’s what we know:
• In a statement published by the National News Agency, the teachers’ committee criticized the Education Ministry and Premier Najib Mikati’s cabinet for not bearing their responsibilities and being “clinically dead” and “disconnected from reality.”
• The statement said that it was useless to engage in a discussion with authorities to resolve the situation “because everyone knows the problem is the lack of [state] funds.”
• “Based on [authorities’] irresponsibility toward public schools, their teachers and students, the committee confirms there will be no return to schools before contracted and assistant teachers are paid their dues, and these dues are dollarized to match the insane rise in the exchange rate,” the statement concluded.
• The vast majority of public schools did not reopen after the holidays this past Monday, despite initial instructions from the Education Ministry to resume classes on Jan.10.
• Only “10 percent of public schools and 70 percent of private schools across Lebanon opened their doors” on Monday, an Education Ministry spokesperson told L’Orient Today.
• Education Minister Abbas Halabi and Health Minister Firass Abiad announced the return of in-person classes at schools as of Jan. 10 with strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.