Lebanon Teachers Union Discusses School Year Extension with

A delegation from the Teachers Syndicate, led by President Naama Mahfoud, met with Education Minister Rima Karami to address several pressing educational issues. The discussions centered on official exams for the Brevet and Baccalaureate, the end of the academic year, and securing financial dues for teachers and administrators involved in exam administration.

According to a syndicate statement, Minister Karami outlined upcoming decisions and directions. A key point was the extension of the academic year by an additional week to allow for the completion of educational processes across various regions.

Brevet and Baccalaureate Exam Changes

Regarding the Brevet exam, Karami stated there is a serious proposal to cancel the national exam, which had been previously suggested. Instead, each school would organize its own internal exams, following unified standards set by the Ministry of Education and under its direct supervision, to ensure fairness and transparency for all students.

For the Baccalaureate, Karami emphasized that exams will be held over three sessions. The first session will proceed on its scheduled date. School administrations, in coordination with parents and students, can choose whether their students take the first or second session, with students having the right to sit for two sessions. School administrations can also decide to directly register their students in the second session, accommodating schools in unstable or war-affected areas and giving students an additional opportunity spanning about three weeks between the first and second sessions.

Funding and Curriculum Adjustments

On securing necessary funding for official exams, Karami noted that allocated funds come either from Ministry of Finance credits or through contributions and support from international bodies, including UNICEF.

Karami confirmed that starting next week, in-person education will be secured for all public school students who were previously learning remotely due to security and logistical conditions.

In a significant point, the minister informed the syndicate delegation that the Ministry of Education will announce, by a deadline of May 15, a mechanism for reducing curricula or the required subjects in official exams for both the Brevet and Baccalaureate, taking into account the exceptional circumstances of the current academic year.

Teacher Compensation and Rights

During the meeting, Mahfoud raised the issue of the 650 billion Lebanese lira grant for the compensation fund for teaching staff in private schools, particularly the 200 billion lira amount presented as a draft law to the general assembly of parliament. He called on Minister Karami to follow up on this vital file, stressing its importance in supporting the compensation fund and protecting the rights of teaching staff in private schools. Karami promised to follow up on the matter with relevant authorities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the importance of preserving the value of official certificates and the rights of both students and teachers was emphasized, along with securing all educational and financial requirements to ensure the smooth conduct of official exams in all Lebanese regions.