Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati held a meeting on Thursday to discuss education. (Credit: Dalati Nohra)
Caretaker Education Minister Abbas Halabi spoke on Thursday about "saving the school year in public and private schools as well as at the state-owned Lebanese University (LU) and private universities" during a meeting with the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, former MP Bahia Hariri, rector of LU Bassam Badran, rector of Saint Joseph University Salim Daccache and the director-general of the Education Ministry Georges Maaraoui.
According to the National News Agency, Halabi also warned against "the collapse of the education system," at a time when public school employees have been on strike since Jan. 9. Private school teachers also observed a strike on Wednesday to demand an increase in their salaries.
"We have agreed on a plan of action, in anticipation of the next government meeting which will be devoted to saving the school year," the NNA quoted Halabi as saying. "Our meeting was aimed at clearing the way before the next cabinet session in order to secure the necessary funds," he added, warning that "keeping public schools closed and risking a similar action for private schools and LU would lead to the collapse of the education system."
Public sector teachers are calling for a government meeting to address their demands for a review of contracts, an increase in their salaries and the provision of medical coverage. Mikati had promised to convene his ministerial team on Thursday for a meeting dedicated to education, but his press office subsequently announced earlier the meeting would not take place until the files are finalized.
In this context, dozens of teachers from the public sector held a sit-in on Thursday morning in front of the Education Ministry branch in Saida, South Lebanon, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south reported. The protesting teachers gathered at around 11 a.m. to demand "an improvement in their working conditions in response to the situation of financial collapse, salary and the national currency's depreciation."
For their part, private school teachers are asking for their salaries to be multiplied by three, like those of the public teachers, and are calling for an increase in their pension fund.
Additional reporting by Muntasser Abdallah.