Four-day public school week divides parents and teachers

"We had hoped to move to five days of teaching this year in public schools, but current circumstances do not allow it." The decision by Education Minister Rima Karameh to keep, for the third consecutive year, four days of classes in Lebanon's public schools — where the new school year begins on Sept. 15 — has sparked a wave of criticism. While teachers' opinions differ on this measure, which some say skirts the issue of raising their salaries, parents expressed educational concerns and practical obstacles that are starting to weigh heavily."We decided to maintain a four-day week in public schools to be able to launch the school year in a regularized way, hoping this will be the last exception," Karameh said Wednesday from Baabda, following the announcement of her decision. The reason: "economic...