President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met Education Minister, Abbas Halabi, today at the Presidential Palace, and discussed with him the educational situation and challenges facing the education sector.

Minister Halabi stressed his insistence of holding a Cabinet session, based on the law, “To secure the requirements for the continuation of schools’ work”.

After the meeting, the Education Minister said in a statement: “I was honored to meet President Michel Aoun, and discus with him the general situation, especially securing the requirements for the continuation of schools’ work in attendance, therefore the need to secure the social grant and transportation allowance for teachers and official school workers, as well as doubling the value of the teaching hour for contractors in the educational sector in formal and vocational education.”

He added: “I asked the President to exceptionally agree and sign these decrees which allow the disbursement of social assistance, the increase in the value of transport allowance and the increase in the value of hours. The President however, insisted on holding a Cabinet session, based on the provisions of the law.”

Halabi said: “From here, I appeal to everyone to hold a Cabinet session in order to run the wheels of the state, and to enable citizens to live even with the minimum available standards of dignity.

Halabi  reiterated the call for the necessity of holding a Cabinet session, as a mercy on students, teachers and schools which are in danger of losing a crucial academic year, after two years of distance education, and the resulting decline in academic levels requires time for compensation.

He added: “I hope from all concerned parties, and I believe that they all feel this responsibility, to overcome the existing differences, and to separate political issues from those related to the lives of citizens, especially in the public administration and education sector in all its stages and categories, because the concerns of citizens and the future of our children are much more important and greater”.

Replying to a question about the required clarifications regarding the student dollar, Minister Halabi stated that “The law has been passed in Parliament, and those concerned should implement it, but it should not be used to encourage Lebanese students to study abroad, and leave Lebanon’s universities”.