Students from the Central College of Lebanese Monks in Jounieh, during a school activity in a church. Photo from ccj.edu.lb website
Commenting on the outcry sparked by an illustrated worksheet showing same-sex families at the Lebanese Monks' Central College in Jounieh, caretaker Education Minister Abbas Halabi called on Wednesday "not to make accusations before obtaining information from the source," according to remarks reported by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
A few days ago, an information sheet distributed to CE1 pupils at this school, featuring, among other things, same-sex parental families, sparked a wave of indignation among parents and school management. The affair, which also set social networks ablaze, quickly gained momentum, with the Lebanese judiciary and the Lebanese Maronite Order taking severe measures against the teachers concerned.
Reacting to the controversy, the school administration emphasized in a message sent to parents that "the teacher explained in class that the images in question showed orphaned children," and acknowledged that the medium had been "poorly chosen." The administration also stated in a press release that it was "conducting the necessary investigation."
"The ministry is awaiting the decision of the courts. In addition, the establishment has indicated that it has carried out the investigation," said Halabi. He also stated that he had asked the ministry's Director General, Imad Achkar, to follow up on the case.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.