Contract teachers from the Lebanese University demonstrated on the road to the Baabda Presidential Palace on Sept. 10, 2026. (Photo: NNA)
BEIRUT — Contract teachers from the Lebanese University (LU) organized a sit-in Thursday on the road leading to the presidential palace in Baabda, as the Cabinet was meeting, notably to examine the issue of their transition to full-time status, which has been pending for twelve years.
Teachers from different faculties and branches of the public university took part in the gathering, waving Lebanese flags and holding signs demanding "justice" and an end to what they consider an "injustice" dating back to the last major wave of tenure in 2014.
The issue was explicitly on the agenda of Thursday's government session, held in Baabda and devoted, in addition to political, security, and economic developments, to a series of matters concerning energy, telecommunications, the army, and LU. This meeting comes alongside several consecutive Cabinet sessions focused on examining the 2027 draft budget.
Last February, the Cabinet had already approved the principle of full-time tenure for 1,690 contract teachers, divided into four groups: 400 in 2026, another 400 in 2027 and 2028, and then 490 in 2029. The first group was initially set to take effect in September. Implementation, however, still required securing the necessary funding. Following a meeting Wednesday with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and LU President Bassam Badran, Education Minister Rima Karameh stated that an agreement had been reached regarding the funding for all four groups and confirmed the first would include 400 teachers. She said the lists of names were now "closed" and that the Cabinet debate would mainly focus on funding.
Speaking on behalf of the contract teachers Thursday, Hamed Hamed said that this issue was "not just a professional demand," but a "fundamental academic necessity" to ensure the stability and development of the Lebanese University. "A university that does not have a stable, full-time teaching staff cannot plan its future or retain its skills," he said.
The protesters called for the adoption of the issue "in its entirety," with "all names meeting the necessary requirements," and rejected any further delays or partial solutions. "Twelve years of waiting is enough," they insisted.
According to their statement, leaving the issue unclear contributes to "the exhaustion of the university and its staff" and perpetuates its instability. "The time to make a decision has come. It's time to bring justice to the university, its teachers, and its students," they concluded.
