The Minister of Education and Higher Education in the caretaker government, Abbas Al-Halabi, held a press conference in his office at the ministry, during which he spoke about the conditions surrounding the preparation for the official exams and the preparations for conducting them. The conference was attended by the Director General of Education and Chairman of the Examination Committees, Imad Ashqar, the Minister's Office Director, Ramza Jaber, the Director of the Joint Administrative Directorate, Salam Younes, the Minister's Advisor for Higher Education Affairs, Nader Hdeifa, the Director of Basic Education, George Daoud, the Director of Guidance and Counseling, Hilda Khoury, the Head of the Official Examinations Department, Rabi' Labban, and the media advisor, Albert Chamoun.
In the statement at the conference, the Minister said: "The official exams concluded successfully in both general and vocational education. Congratulations to all who contributed to their completion and success, and congratulations to Lebanon, which faced this challenge under extremely difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions. However, our united will has insisted on holding our official certificate as a testament to our commitment to our educational leadership and identity, even as our beloved South was suffering. We continue our path with determination, awareness, trust, and above all, faith in God."
He added: "I say this knowing the extent of the political, media, and digital mobilization we faced to push us to grant certificates or attempts to obstruct the process. However, we have overcome the pressures due to our conviction that on the day the results are announced and each deserving student boasts of their success, we will feel reassured about their present and future."
He continued: "On the first day of the exams, with the new specification for the tests and the increased volume of questions designed to adhere to the description, something unforeseen happened: the chemistry committee delayed the delivery of all exams, which postponed the printing process. The Examinations Department made every effort to address the issue, and the Internal Security Forces responsible for transporting the exams across Lebanon were supposed to start their operations early to reach the farthest points like Akkar, Hermel, the deep south, and the Bekaa in a timely manner. We extend our utmost gratitude for their efforts."
He stated: "Given the available time, employees at all levels worked on printing and collaborated on preparing and sealing the envelopes and then the cardboard boxes, resulting in a delay in the start of the exams by about an hour. While the exams reached Beirut and Mount Lebanon without delay, they were delayed in arriving at Akkar and Hermel by more than an hour, sometimes longer. During this time, examination committees informed center heads across Lebanon not to open the question envelopes until all arrived at all centers. Thus, candidates were present inside the centers without phones or any means of communication, disproving any idea of leaking questions since candidates were cut off from any external contact."
He added: "We have tasked a committee with conducting an internal investigation to trace the source of the photographed exam and requested that the Public Prosecution pursue those found to have published some questions to identify the sources and beneficiaries."
He pointed out that "the issuance of the new specification by the Educational Center for Research and Development was fair to the candidates and provided them with options of questions consistent with their studies in the curriculum, without any reduction in the level of answers to any questions or diminishing the academic value of the certificate."
He remarked: "Teachers and academics took on their educational responsibility and actively participated in the committees that set the questions and supervised the exams in the 240 centers for general education and 56 centers for vocational and technical education, including 23 centers for people with special needs, four centers abroad, one center in the Roueiss prison, and the San Jude Children's Cancer Center. They will also participate significantly in the grading process, which will start at the approved centers beginning next Tuesday. They were fully aware of their national responsibility, just like their students who chose to face the challenge with faith and responsibility and succeeded, at a time when the Israeli enemy could not even conduct exams for its students in the region adjacent to our beloved south. If it weren't for our unified stance of administration, teachers, security forces, inspection, schools, and students, we wouldn't have achieved this."
He continued: "Some thought we conducted these exams recklessly, placing our children in the line of fire. However, there are facts that the public should know. I initiated a series of communications starting with the President of the Parliament, Mr. Nabih Berri, then the Prime Minister, Mr. Najib Mikati, the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, the Director-General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Imad Othman, the Director of Army Intelligence, and its operations director. On this occasion, I express my gratitude to each of them for their support. The security of the exams, including transporting students and ensuring the safety of the examination centers, was our primary concern. We ensured buses were escorted by army forces, providing students with reassurance, and we undertook diplomatic communications to secure protective oversight, allowing the exams to proceed safely."
He said: "Yesterday, we participated in a strategic meeting for the Education Funding Trust Fund (TREF) at the Grand Serail, under the patronage and presence of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, along with ambassadors from donor countries, government agencies, and international organizations. I requested a treasury advance for the new academic year of $300 million, which is double the advance we spent on the current academic year. I invite all administrative and educational bodies and associations, which are all partners in the responsibility for the sector, to continue working together so we can have a stable and better academic year, God willing. We also requested funding for the official exams from UNICEF to support the supervisors, markers, and all those working on this national entitlement, with amounts in USD, in addition to fees in Lebanese pounds, which are tripled, to alleviate their workload and to release the results. The committees began working on setting the grading criteria yesterday, and the grading process will start next Tuesday, as I mentioned, and we will inform the public of the results' announcement time as work progresses."
He clarified: "As for those who were not fortunate this time, we await the results to tally the numbers and specialties to decide on submitting a draft decree for an exceptional session to the Cabinet. I have also requested today that the head of the examination committees announce the results of the intermediate certificate for free candidates."
