Students review their lessons at the Bazourieh public school, in the Sour district of southern Lebanon, on July 3, 2024, during the war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Lebanon’s public education sector began the new school year on Sept. 15 with around 30 schools closing their doors. The academic year was already weighed down by seven years of economic crisis and two devastating wars with Israel since 2023.The primary, middle, and secondary schools affected did not have enough students to remain open. Some had more teachers than students, while others had just two or three pupils, even as operating costs continued to mount and state coffers remained empty. The decision drew criticism from political figures, including Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) MP and rapporteur of Parliament’s Education Committee Edgard Traboulsi, who said the closures exclusively targeted Christian areas. Meanwhile... 'We plan to stay': Ordered to evacuate schools in Sour, more than 250 displaced families say they won't leave ...
Lebanon’s public education sector began the new school year on Sept. 15 with around 30 schools closing their doors. The academic year was already weighed down by seven years of economic crisis and two devastating wars with Israel since 2023.The primary, middle, and secondary schools affected did not have enough students to remain open. Some had more teachers than students, while others had just two or three pupils, even as operating costs continued to mount and state coffers remained empty. The decision drew criticism from political figures, including Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) MP and rapporteur of Parliament’s Education Committee Edgard Traboulsi, who said the closures exclusively targeted Christian areas. Meanwhile... 'We plan to stay': Ordered to evacuate schools in Sour, more than 250 displaced families say they won't leave ...