The Education, Higher Education, and Culture Committee held a session chaired by MP Hassan Murad with the attendance of its members. Murad stated after the session: "We held a meeting today at the joint invitation of the Youth and Sports Committee, which was keen to follow up on the issue of youth and school dropouts that can lead to an unexpected situation. Unfortunately, after a lengthy meeting, we are facing a school year that is at risk. We listened to the parties that joined us in this meeting and those who are following the educational situation. We all agreed that the educational situation is in danger, and thus we moved towards forming follow-up and emergency committees, and we appealed to the Minister of Education and the government, urging them to declare a state of educational emergency to save the upcoming school year."
He added: "There are some matters for which we can find solutions by supporting the Ministry of Education with the budget so that we can start the upcoming school year without significant dropouts. Our role is to support public schools and work towards this in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, and we will put in all our efforts to pressure everyone concerned in this matter to ensure the school year begins next year."
Tarboushi: Committee member MP Edkar Tarboushi said: "I took the concerns of the Lebanese University to the Parliamentary Education Committee today, especially since the academic year has not yet ended, and students do not know when it will finish, nor do they know if the next academic year will be available in the foreseeable future. We have 50 million dollars that we hear are stuck at the Middle East Airlines (MEA) board of directors; I contacted its director general, Muhammad Haout, who provided me with 4 to 5 answers that did not convince me because MEA must pay the bill for the Lebanese University, as its faculty, students, and laboratories volunteered to conduct PCR tests at the airport based on the offer I presented to the Education Committee, and I thank its president and members. A follow-up committee has been formed, and we ask Mr. Muhammad Haout and the Ministers of Public Health and Public Works and Transport to inform us of what they have so that we know the truth."
He added: "In any case, these figures are the only ones capable of ensuring the start of the upcoming school year and covering two years or more if they reach the Lebanese University. The university is in real danger, and we want to know where this money is and to be assured that it will reach the Lebanese University."
