The facade of the Lebanese Education Ministry. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — Public school teachers in Lebanon will observe a strike on Thursday, "due to the government's ongoing stalling tactics and its refusal to place the issue of salary adjustments on its agenda," according to a statement from public education unions.
"The strike applies to secondary schools, primary schools, technical institutes, teacher training centers, guidance centers, and teachers seconded to the Ministry of Education and the Center for Educational Research," the statement said.
Contract teachers and trainers have also been called on to observe the strike while maintaining their presence at their institutions. Union representatives have asked the minister of education to pay for the classes scheduled for Thursday.
The teachers said they were "ready to intensify their actions next week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a plan whose details will be announced later," calling on "public sector unions, including active and retired employees, to coordinate their upcoming actions in order to increase pressure on the government to restore rights and preserve the dignity of public sector employees."
The economic and financial crisis that began in 2019, followed by the coronavirus pandemic and the 2023/2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel, have severely affected Lebanon's public education sector.
To date, public school students attend classes only four days a week. Public school teachers have launched several strikes over the course of the year.
