The Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai launched an unprecedented attack on the Ministry of Education, stating from Diman, "It is regrettable that we witness the farce of the recent secondary school certificate exams, which have revealed corruption and the reluctance of universities worldwide to accept our students." The media office of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education responded to the Patriarch's comments in a statement, saying: "With all due respect to His Eminence and His Excellency Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Rai, we were surprised by His Eminence's announcement of a stance that raises eyebrows regarding the official exams, waiting nearly four weeks after they were completed without any issues, and ten days after the results were announced.
It is indeed strange that His Eminence set aside most of the crises in the country and directed his attack towards the national and educational achievement represented by the exams during his presidency of the Mass of Thanksgiving after the beatification of Patriarch Estefan Doueihi, in the Patriarchal See Church in Diman."
The statement continued: "It is unfortunate that His Eminence describes the achievement of the exams as a farce and a failure, expressing regret over what he terms the decline that has afflicted the state in Lebanon, which is now clearly affecting the educational sector in a catastrophic manner. He believes that this has become evident through attempts to exclude a fundamental segment from managing the educational process, which has had a significant impact throughout history, setting apart the educational sector that has led many families from neighboring countries to choose Lebanon's schools and universities for their children's education."
The office reminded the Patriarch that "he previously made a phone call to the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Abbas Halabi, congratulating him on the successful completion of the official exams under the current circumstances, emphasizing the importance of preserving the Lebanese official certificate for transition to higher education, inviting him to visit the summer patriarchal residence in Diman. Statements from various personalities and entities praised this achievement, including the Union of Private Educational Institutions, which considered the successful completion of the official high school exams a bulwark for the nation's endurance and continuity in the face of significant challenges."
The office expressed regret over comments made by "a national religious authority due to the ambiguities and confusion they cause within Lebanese circles, as his words are directed against all components of the educational sector and the sacrifices made by teachers in their roles in supervision and correction. His assertions about attempts to exclude a fundamental segment from managing the educational process are unacceptable, and everyone attests to the management of the Minister of Education and Higher Education and his efforts to avoid political interference or attempts to monopolize decisions; the authority in education is foundational and belongs to all Lebanese without discrimination."
It continued: "Instead of commending the achievement of exams in difficult and even impossible conditions and issuing results that were normal as in last year, here is Patriarch Rai, whom we hoped would be a supporter of reform steps in education, providing additional material for political, media, and digital campaigns against the ministry to push it to issue certificates. His Eminence knows well that we have overcome pressures and conducted unified exams for all Lebanese students without discrimination and away from any narrow personal calculations, gathering all support for them through our communications with the relevant presidents, ministers, and security agencies to ensure their safe completion."
The office concluded by stating that "our determination was decisive in conducting the exams to maintain the Lebanese certificate and our adherence to our educational leadership and identity. We continue this path with awareness and confidence, and we invite His Eminence to review the organization of this entitlement and not to heed reports that are part of dubious campaigns and their proponents' calculations, and to do justice to those in education, especially teachers, who have shouldered the responsibilities laid upon them, and to reconsider his position away from calculations involving intervention in other files related to the accomplishment of exams which represented nothing but a collective educational and national milestone."
