Aoun announces a review of tuition hikes at private schools

BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun described the increase in tuition fees at private schools as "unacceptable and unjustified" during a meeting Tuesday at the Baabda Palace with a delegation from the Union of Parents' Committees, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

The head of state called for the creation of arbitration councils and a revision of Law 515 to make it fairer and to protect the rights of teachers, schools, and students.

Law 515/96, adopted in 1996, sets the legal framework for the budgets of private schools in Lebanon. It defines the allocation of revenues, specifying that at least 65 percent of the budget must go to teachers’ salaries, and covers other operating expenses. The law also requires that schools submit their budgets to parents’ committees for approval.

Many private schools and universities have been raising their tuition fees every year since the onset of the economic and financial crisis in 2019, often demanding payment in so-called “fresh” U.S. dollars.