The university professor requested nothing more from the convent school in Nabatieh than the general average of his son, to verify his exemption from the "paid" entrance exam at the other private school he would be transferring to. However, the school administration refused, insisting that the full tuition fee and the increase in U.S. dollars be paid before any information in the file could be disclosed. "We managed to extract the information after great effort," he says, noting that he promised the school he wouldn’t run away and would pay his dues after receiving the educational grant at the beginning of July, which he has always done. This is, in fact, the situation for most public sector employees who often rely on the grant to pay the third installment of the school fee.
### Children as Fuel for Dispute
Some private school administrations do not hesitate to use students as fuel in the open "war" with their parents, contrary to Article 10, Paragraph B of Law 515/1996 (School Budget Regulation Law), which protects children from any disputes that might arise with the school. In the past, some "prestigious" schools did not hesitate to withhold school certificates and "detain" young students in closed classrooms due to their parents' objections to arbitrary and unjustified increases in tuition fees. Recent threats included removing the names of students who delay payment of the mandatory "financial assistance" in "fresh dollars" from the online agenda where lessons and homework are posted.
### Grades for the Affluent Only
Recently, the administration of Mar Charbel School in Jiyye informed parents via text message that "the report cards will only be sent on the Eduflag program to families who have paid the full annual tuition for the 2021-2022 academic year, on Thursday morning, June 30 for kindergarten, and on Monday morning, July 4 for the other grades. Those who have not paid will be asked to come to the school to consult with the administration." This is not the first time the school has withheld grades from students whose parents have not paid the fees, according to sources from the Parents Committee, as it had already done so in the second term when the primary school director went into classes to tell students: "Those who do not receive a report card are those whose parents have not paid the tuition," sending children home in tears. The sources pointed out that the Parents Committee did not approve the last year's budget for the 2021-2022 academic year and objected to it with the Private Education Department at the Ministry of Education. Everything the school administration speaks about regarding increases in tuition in Lebanese pounds and U.S. dollars is illegal. The sources noted that the administration is trying to win over some members of the Parents Committee by offering them discounts and payment facilities.
One mother, a member of the Parents Committee at Lycée Abdallah, refused to comment on the withholding of certificates discussed by several parents, stating that issues are resolved between the administration and each parent individually. She personally follows up on her children's matters directly with the school through official channels and stated that there is nothing she could provide to the media.
### Call for Action
Lama Zein Al-Tawil, chairwoman of the Federation of Parents’ Committees and Private School Parents, confirmed that "what some private school administrations are doing is completely unacceptable. The illegal violations regarding dollarization of tuition fees or withholding report cards and certificates from students are a disgrace that has nothing to do with educational ethics, and all involved share the responsibility," calling on Minister of Education Abbas Halabi "to take all necessary measures to protect our children." She urged all parents whose children are being subjected to this injustice to file a complaint with the Private Education Department and to communicate with the federation for follow-up.
### “Let Us Breathe”
"This is a painful means that school administrations are forced to use, after being left to face the crisis alone without a government or law to protect them," said Nabih Al-Qasta, Secretary-General of Evangelical Schools. He noted that schools are struggling to survive and, while trying to take a "breath" to continue providing educational services, are facing a broad campaign against them for imposing an additional 200 or 400 dollars. He stated that the cost of diesel fuel alone for Evangelical schools reached 110,000 dollars "on paper," while they and other schools offered many facilities to families. When Al-Qasta was asked about Article 10 of Law 515 prohibiting schools from using students as leverage in disputes, he questioned, "Does this article release 10,000 dollars for us in the bank?" He added, "Let us get through this phase peacefully and communicate honestly and transparently with parents. This is our last cartridge."
### Solutions from the Private Education Department
Emad Al-Ashqar, Head of the Private Education Department and General Director of Education, warned school administrations in a call with "Al-Akhbar" against taking students as hostages, indicating that there is no legal justification for increasing tuition fees in U.S. dollars. He stated that the department would be obliged to facilitate the transfer of students from one private school to another chosen by their guardians if the certificates or grades were withheld, which is contrary to the provisions of Article 10 that prevent school administrations from using children in disputes with parents.
