The media office at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education indicated that several news websites published a report stating that the ceiling of Al-Minya School, located in the Blat neighborhood, had collapsed without injuring any students. It clarified that, upon informing the caretaker Minister of Education Abbas Halabi about this news, he instructed the administration and the educational region in the north to communicate with the Higher Relief Authority and assigned engineers to inspect the school.
The statement explained that the published news was incorrect, and the ceiling was not damaged; a tile on the ground in one of the school's rooms had detached from the floor, and two adjacent tiles had cracked due to the cement not adhering properly to the tiles. The engineers will submit their report to the ministry for the necessary repairs to the floor.
The media office confirmed that the appropriations allocated for the maintenance of school buildings are not reflected in the general budget and that funds designated for education from grants and international loans cannot be spent on the daily maintenance of schools, nor can their use be redirected for maintenance, as they are intended for restoration projects and rehabilitation of existing buildings or for building new schools, according to the specified purpose in the grant or loan.
It urged those concerned about the safety of schools and their students, as well as news outlets, to be accurate in reporting and to obtain facts from official sources.
