The Minister of Education Rima Karameh. (Credit: NNA)
The Minister of Education, Rima Karameh, stated the importance of "mutual trust based on transparency and coordination" between teachers and the ministry, saying that she "places their interests at the top of [her] priorities," during a meeting Wednesday with their leagues at her office to discuss their demands, which led them to announce a strike and then announce its suspension.
During the meeting, and according to the ministry's statement, it was decided to enhance direct communication with the minister's office and to set an appointment with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to present their demands.
Regarding the payment of arrears owed to teachers, Karameh promised to "do [her] best to ensure the decree in question is adopted before the Easter holidays, so that this payment covers the dues of framed and retired teacher league members."
For other financial demands, the two parties agreed to determine their exact value to plan the budget. The minister also promised to do her best to increase the hourly rates for contractual teachers, which would equate to compensation for productivity, as it ceases during the summer months.
In October 2019, the collapse of the Lebanese lira against foreign currencies resulted in a drastic devaluation of public sector salaries, paid in local currency. Currently, a dollar is exchanged for LL 89,500, compared to LL 1,500 before the crisis. Several measures have been taken by the authorities, notably to cosmetically adjust the salaries of framed civil servants without rectifying the hourly salary of contractual workers. However, they remain very insufficient. It was only recently, after the formation of the government led by Nawaf Salam on Feb. 8, 2025, that the hourly wage for contractual workers was increased by $8.2, paid in Lebanese lira.