Lebanese Education Minister Karamy Holds Series of Meetings on Exams and Veterinary Education

Rima Karamy, Lebanon's Minister of Education and Higher Education, received the new Swiss Ambassador to Lebanon, Nicole Roeder, in a meeting aimed at introducing the ambassador and reviewing educational and university relations between the two countries. The discussion also prepared for the arrival of a Swiss educational delegation scheduled to visit Lebanon at the end of the week.

Ambassador Roeder emphasized Switzerland's commitment to assisting Lebanon and supporting the ministry's priorities and plans. She highlighted the alignment of Swiss preparations with the ministry's directions and stressed the importance of channeling this support to serve the ministry's strategic plan.

Following this, Minister Karamy met with Selim Al-Sayegh, a member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Kataeb Party and a member of the Parliamentary Education Committee. They discussed the issue of official examinations, with Al-Sayegh expressing his support for the minister's stance on conducting the official exams. He conveyed his gratitude for her efforts and dedication to maintaining the official certification and brought several inquiries related to education and examinations.

Additionally, Karamy met with Akram Shehayeb, a member of the Democratic Gathering bloc, accompanied by Samir Najm, the Education Commissioner of the Progressive Socialist Party. Their discussions focused on current educational issues, particularly the official examinations.

Minister Karamy reassured the delegation that the draft decree and executive decisions related to the Cabinet's resolution take into account all circumstances, despite the disparities between students who attended regular classes in secondary schools and those whose schools were closed due to the war.

She affirmed the ministry's full commitment to upholding the principle of educational justice and equal opportunities for all certificate students across both public and private sectors.

Shehayeb expressed satisfaction with these directions and the emphasis on fairness among all candidates. The meeting also served as an opportunity to address various other educational matters.

Subsequently, Karamy convened with a delegation from the Lebanese Veterinary Syndicate, led by Syndicate President Ihab Shaaban. Shaaban praised the minister's dedication to educational standards and her resilience against defamation campaigns targeting her. The delegation briefed her on the syndicate’s activities and professional development programs.

The delegation pointed out that the Lebanese University is the sole institution offering veterinary studies locally, while many students graduate from universities abroad. They noted that the number of graduates exceeds the local labor market's needs. The discussion included preparing a study on the required standards for specialization and graduation.

They requested efforts to expedite the accreditation of veterinary degrees obtained abroad and to include this specialty among those covered by the colloquium exams to ensure high standards, including for obtaining professional licensing.

The delegation also called for incorporating animal care and welfare topics into new curricula and textbooks, alongside launching awareness campaigns targeting school students through cooperation between the ministry, the syndicate, and active associations.

Minister Karamy commended the syndicate’s activities and promised to follow up on their legitimate demands, especially regarding awareness initiatives and integrating veterinary sciences into the colloquium exams by submitting a draft law for this purpose.