The Minister of Education and Higher Education in the caretaker government, Abbas Al-Halabi, headed an administrative and educational meeting yesterday, Thursday, to follow up on the progress of the academic year and the official examinations. The attendees confirmed that "the official examinations for the intermediate and general secondary certificates in all its branches, as well as vocational exams, will take place," and cautioned that "the news circulating on social media about the examination dates and reductions are incorrect. We call on citizens and educators to rely on the officially published news issued by the media office of the Minister of Education, as well as the reductions officially posted on the page of the Educational Center for Research and Development."
Al-Halabi indicated that "dates for the conduct of the official examinations and details related to all required curricula and preparations will be set immediately after the Eid al-Fitr holiday."
On another note, Al-Halabi was briefed by Maya Samaha, the head of the engineering unit at the ministry, and her team of engineers, on a detailed presentation regarding newly built official schools and those undergoing restoration. He received a report on the progress of restoration and construction work and decided to visit school sites to inspect the completed works in all regions.
Additionally, Al-Halabi met with the UNICEF representative in Lebanon, Eduardo Beegbeder, and his team to monitor the progress of the academic year and provide logistical and material support for the official examinations. They discussed the funding for school supplies and joint projects. The minister and Beegbeder signed the budget allocated to Lebanon from donors through UNICEF for the years 2023 and 2024. They subsequently reviewed the projects related to the restoration and rehabilitation of schools in terms of construction, solar energy, and repairs, agreeing to announce the commencement of these projects in early May, with the ministry outlining the needs and UNICEF handling the specifications, contracts, payments, and monitoring.
