Abbas Al-Halabi, the caretaker Education Minister, emphasized the importance of creating an acceptable atmosphere for the start of the next academic year.

Minister Al-Halabi emphasized the need of everyone’s cooperation, particularly the Ministry of Finance, in order to pay salaries and grant employees in the Ministry of Education their rights in a timely way, refusing to pay the price of the ministry’s employees’ strike.

President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, had received Minister Al-Halabi, today at Baabda Palace.

Minister Al-Halabi also revealed the great concern about the future of the Lebanese University if it did not receive the necessary support and money to be able to withstand and continue.

Statement:

After the meeting, Minister Al-Halabi made the following statement:

“I met with His Excellency the President of the Republic and we addressed general affairs, especially the educational situation after the completion of the official exams.

I also informed His Excellency that the number of those who joined the official summer school amounted to about 90,000 male and female students, and that a number of public school students also joined this summer school. This is a new phenomenon.

I also presented the results of my visit to Qatar, accompanied by the President of the Lebanese University, and the contacts we had there with the Minister of Education and Director General of the Development Fund. We hope that the Government of Qatar will respond to our requests. The meeting was also an occasion to review the files of the Lebanese University and President Aoun is very concerned about her future if the LU does not receive the care, support, and provision of the necessary money to enable it to stand firm and continue, especially by addressing the issues of her professors with all their names as well as the issues of her students.

In addition, I informed the President of the need to create the appropriate atmosphere for the opening of the next academic year by securing the rights of teachers in all their names, paying the arrears due to them, reconsidering their salaries, paying the social grant and incentives, as well as transportation allowances.

I asked His Excellency, as I will ask the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to respond to these requests as soon as possible to secure the resumption of the school year”.

Question & Answer:

Question: During the past two days, there was a cry from the Lebanese regarding the authentication of official certificates required to travel abroad. Has the ministry taken any measures to facilitate and expedite this matter?

Answer: “You know that the employees of the Ministry of Education did not resort to striking for one day, and when the official exams were over, they referred to me and they had taken the decision to strike for a very simple reason, which is that they did not receive transportation allowances, as well as they did not receive the social grant, in addition to the delay in the payment of salaries. If this matter is not addressed, how can an employee in the Ministry of Education join his workplace? We have learned that the Ministry of Finance has begun to pay salaries, which may lead to a breakthrough in this regard.

We in the Ministry have taken quick measures, as a date has been set for the delivery of certificates, because we do not want to prevent students from obtaining the official certificate that they have the right to obtain in order to be able to enroll in universities in Lebanon or abroad.

We have opened the doors of the ministry and started handing out certificates, and we are now issuing all certificates and are ready to hand them over to all those who passed the high school and brevet exams.

There is another issue related to the existing transactions in the ministry, which were previously completed and were not delivered due to the strike, and we have started handing them over since the first of yesterday.

We are in the process of conducting consultations with the employees to determine the mechanisms for the next week, because I do not want the student or the student to pay the price, but in return, the employee must be able to reach his work station”.

In response to another question about the timing of receiving the certificates, Minister Al-Halabi indicated that there are a large number of students whose requests have been met, and we have contacted the French Embassy, ​​which is the most in demand for these certificates.

“We asked them to grant us a deadline for the end of August, and there is cooperation between us to facilitate the students’ affairs. I do not want any of the students to pay the price because of the employee’s cessation of work in the Ministry of Education, but in return we want cooperation from everyone, and the Ministry of Finance responds to the demand for paying employees’ rights in a timely manner” Minister Al-Halabi continued.

Dr. Suleiman:

The President met the former head of the Constitutional Council, Dr. Issam Suleiman, and discussed with him constitutional affairs.

Honoring the American lawyer of Lebanese origin, Edward Toufic Saadeh:

President Aoun awarded the American lawyer of Lebanese origin, Edward Toufic Saadeh, the Silver Lebanese Order of Merit, in appreciation of the successes he achieved in the United States of America and the judicial positions in which he was held “As a result of his self-will, determination, and steadfastness, and the values ​​he carried with him from his country”.

While granting the medal, in the presence of Dr. Naji Hayek, President Aoun praised the “Brilliant lawyer who parallels the importance of applying the law and working with his spiritual inspiration to ensure that the right reaches the righteous with the greatest possible amount of humanity, especially since he was throughout his life revolting against the oppressors wherever they are”.

“He had distinguished positions, against all kinds of occupation, especially in Lebanon” President Aoun concluded.