Education and Higher Education Minister Abbas Halabi toured the schools of the Chouf region, accompanied by Deputy Bilal Abdullah, Director of Secondary Education Khaled Fayad, Director of Basic Education George Daoud, Head of the Educational Zone Jalber Sakhn, Director of Guidance and Counseling Hilda Khoury, Higher Education Advisor Dr. Nader Harifa, Media Advisor Albert Shammoun, and Project Manager Maya Samaha.
Halabi's first stop was at the Haret Naama Official School, followed by a visit to the town of Burj, where he held a meeting with the directors of official schools in Burj at the secondary school building. He then moved to the town of Shihim, where he met with the directors of official schools and secondary schools in the region, in the hall of the official schools gathering in Shihim, with the presence of Deputy Mohammad Al-Hajjar and Shihim Mayor Ahmed Fawaz.
The Director of Shihim Official Secondary School, Amna Al-Haj, welcomed Minister Halabi and the accompanying delegation, pointing out that "the Chouf region is proud of its only motto, which is knowledge." She emphasized, "We are a nation that does not think of inheriting or bequeathing anything but knowledge, and this is the testimony of the entire nation."
She added, "From this edifice, which represents all secondary and official schools, we affirm that we have overcome all difficulties in order to strengthen and improve the educational process, and the best proof of this is the remarkable results achieved by the secondary schools and schools." She noted that "Shihim Secondary School ranked fifth in the Life Sciences branch."
Al-Haj condemned "the attacks on official education teachers," asserting that "the secondary schools and official schools have the full competencies and required skills, despite our modest capabilities."
She confirmed that "despite the difficult circumstances, we have our eyes set on success by providing a real and effective model," thanking Minister Halabi and all those working in the ministry for their efforts and hoping for support for schools and addressing current crises.
Minister Halabi then spoke, stating: "The Chouf region is the reservoir of men because it is the reservoir of women, and in particular, the region is known for containing a large number of judges, officers in all military branches, and many teachers in both the official and private sectors, along with many competencies."
He added: "I extend my greetings to the namesake of this secondary school, the martyr Rafik Hariri, and I thank Deputies Bilal Abdullah and Mohammad Al-Hajjar and the educational bodies for their attendance. The living concerns overshadow educational issues, and we came today in a very difficult time, having seen an official school that historically played a role in educating generations of Lebanese who have occupied high positions, with institutions that taught them providing high competencies, and we have witnessed sacrifices spanning decades."
He stated: "There is a significant contradiction for students between what they are exposed to in modern sciences and new knowledge, and what they learn from their educational curricula due to the old educational syllabus, and this affects all students in Lebanon."
Minister Halabi continued: "We have put the curriculum development workshop on the fast track, and we have begun work and made steps forward. We have reached the national framework for the new curricula, which will serve as the framework and high outcome for what can be envisioned to introduce new knowledge into education, enabling our students to keep up with modernity from a young age, in advanced stages. Therefore, the Educational Center, in cooperation with the ministry, lays the foundations for updating all this knowledge, and I am very hopeful that in February 2023, we will be able to conduct the first practical experiments in a number of schools, and evaluate the extent of this experience based on the responses of students and educational bodies. Our greatest hope is that the academic year starting in September 2023 will expand even more in 2024. This is a major project, and I hope we can follow up on it, even if the government changes and the minister changes; I will continue to support this workshop, as it is at the heart of educational reform and the educational system in schools in Lebanon."
He added: "The school and education in Lebanon remain almost the only unique advantage left after the collapse of all sectors in Lebanon. Our only goal with our responsibility in the Ministry of Education is to enhance the educational sector in Lebanon."
Regarding educational bodies and workers, he noted that schools received cash in their funds, but there is a problem with withdrawals, incentives have been distributed, and there are some schools that did not receive them. The aid that was approved is $180, which is almost complete, except for a few minor technical errors that have been addressed. Additionally, quantities of books were distributed, but delays occurred on the part of UNICEF in their distribution.
He added: "The unions of primary, vocational, and secondary teachers have taken to visit the Minister of Finance to prevent it from being interpreted that the Minister of Education is not following up on these issues. We were promised that in the first ten days of May the grant would be disbursed, but nothing has happened to date. However, in the Cabinet, we will raise this matter, as we cannot leave public sector workers in suffering."
He concluded: "I commend your efforts and appreciate your sacrifices and support. We have won the bet on in-person education this year, and we have saved the official school educational system, which was on the verge of collapse, had it not been for the decision we made, which you helped me implement, which is in-person education. I hope we enter a new phase after the elections, and that God's mercy will help this country reach a better stage."
Afterward, there were contributions from several school directors, which included difficulties, obstacles, and hardships they suffer due to administrative bureaucracy and the worsening economic situation, reflecting on the overall conditions, files, and transactions of schools from various aspects.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both the Director of the Shihim Complex, Sahar Ibrahim, and the Director of Shihim Third School, Sahar Zarzour, presented a trophy to Minister Halabi as a token of loyalty and appreciation, while several students from the school complex performed national songs in a "choral" style, which received great admiration from the minister and the attendees.
