The active committee of contract teachers in official education executed a sit-in today, Monday, titled "Save Official Education in Lebanon," in front of the entrance to the House of Parliament. This coincided with a workshop on the educational sector sponsored by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in collaboration with the parliamentary Education, Higher Education, and Culture Committee and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, which lasts for three days. Dozens of teachers gathered carrying banners demanding their rights, and teacher Nasreen Shaheen read a statement emphasizing that "Our sit-in in front of the Parliament coinciding with the Education Committee session is to loudly say that the existing gap is due to decisions being made without considering the opinions of teachers."
She stated, "It is the right of students in official schools to receive education for 30 weeks, just like in private schools, and it is our duty to take this step." She called for a reconsideration of fees for students in official schools and universities, where fees can reach 170 dollars, and in secondary schools to 7 million Lebanese lira, ensuring the availability of books, as books have not been available since 1996. Furthermore, any assistance for refugee students must also support Lebanese students so they can attend school.
She added, "We also demand the establishment of criteria for the admission of teachers to official schools, rather than allowing entry based on favoritism. We invite public opinion to support us in creating a system through which we can understand the actual number of students and their attendance and how funds are spent."
Regarding the teachers' demands, she noted that they are not unreasonable, mentioning a salary of 600 dollars, which she urged the government to secure, as 300 dollars is insufficient, and transportation allowances for four days. "It is the peak of servitude for a teacher to earn between 80,000 and 100,000 lira per hour," she said.
She pointed out that "Official Decision No. 235, which acknowledges the full contract, was arbitrarily applied by the Minister of Education, granting it only to vocational and secondary education. This raises the question of how we can trust your legislation."
She called on "donor parties to restructure their cooperation with the Ministry of Education regarding the disbursement of funds to support the educational sector in Lebanon," confirming that "there will be no definitive solution until teachers are stabilized." In solidarity with the demonstrators, Hassan Murad, Chairman of the Parliamentary Education Committee, stepped out from the educational workshop in Parliament to join the contract teachers in their sit-in outside the council, receiving from them a list of demands he described as "just."
