A student in a classroom at a school in Beirut. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
Lebanon’s official baccalaureate exams began Wednesday across all four class specialities in a “calm” atmosphere, according to Education Minister Rima Karami, who toured several examination centers in Beirut.
“The atmosphere in the centers is calm, the questions are appropriate, and they take into account the country’s exceptional circumstances,” Karami said. “This phase will mark a turning point, aimed at reinforcing the school curriculum and better preparing students for what’s next.”
She acknowledged the challenges facing the education sector, but emphasized the importance of holding the official exams. “We are working in exceptional conditions, but it was essential to move forward with the exams to show that we’re persevering, against all odds,” she said. “There is nothing unsolvable about the official exams. So far, students seem at ease. We hope everything continues smoothly.”
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who is also monitoring the exams, praised their successful organization amid Lebanon’s ongoing crises. “After holding municipal elections, we’re now administering the official exams. This shows that Lebanon is gradually regaining vitality and returning to a sense of normalcy,” he said. Addressing students, he added, “I understand your stress, but reaching this stage is already an achievement. Congratulations.”
Karami is expected to tour exam centers in South Lebanon on Thursday.
According to Education Ministry Director General Fadi Yarak, a total of 42,728 students are sitting for the exams at 229 centers, with around 9,400 teachers involved, including 7,800 serving as invigilators. The ministry has also launched a 24/7 hotline (01-772050) to respond to candidates’ questions.
Lebanon’s school year, battered by economic collapse since 2019 and interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, has also been disrupted since October by the war between Hezbollah and Israel. Populations have been displaced, hundreds of families remain unable to return home, and many schools — especially in the South — have been damaged or destroyed.
Over 5,500 students taking exams in the South
Despite these challenges, 30 exam centers have opened in South Lebanon, with two additional centers serving students with special needs, said Ahmad Saleh, the head of the region’s educational department. A total of 1,063 teachers are overseeing exams for 5,560 students in the South.
Saleh noted that some teachers initially failed to report to duty on Wednesday due to an Israeli airstrike the previous evening that killed a Hezbollah Badr unit official in Bablieh, in the district of Saida. “That issue has since been resolved,” he said.
He added that students who were displaced due to Israeli attacks and had relocated near Sour were accommodated so they could take their exams under “transparent and standardized conditions.”
“The exam questions take into account what students were actually able to learn, given all the disruptions,” he said. “Still, many are worried about the security situation.”
