- Title: Pressure on Lebanon's schools as tough times force children into state system
- Date: 18th December 2019
- Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STUDENTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOL DURING BREAK BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAIR STYLIST AND FATHER OF TWO, EID RAMADAN, SAYING: "We're barely working 20 percent of what we used to, and you know because of the situation, we used to take out loans to pay off our debts, but today we can't afford to, even if the installment is $100 a month." BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STUDENTS AT SCHOOL DURING BREAK VARIOUS OF STUDENTS WALKING IN LINE GOING INTO CLASS BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAIR STYLIST AND FATHER OF TWO, EID RAMADAN, SAYING: "My kids are thankfully smart and understanding, they know our situation, and we treat them as friends more than children, so they understood the situation because they know our circumstances. They know we are doing the impossible to keep them (in a private school). But we've reached a point where we couldn't, we've hit a brick wall." BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) STUDENTS GOING INTO CLASS AFTER BREAK TEACHER SPEAKING AT CLASS / STUDENTS SITTING AND LISTENING VARIOUS OF STUDENTS AT CLASS BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 11, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CARETAKER EDUCATION MINISTER, AKRAM CHEHAYEB, SAYING: "Due to the economic situation this year, due to the situation that Lebanon passed through, a large number of students; in the elementary and middle schools, 24,070 students moved from private to public schools, and in the secondary school we received 12,400 student." BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STUDENTS AT CLASSROOMS TEACHER EXPLAINING AND WRITING ON BOARD VARIOUS OF STUDENT WRITING DURING CLASS BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 11, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CARETAKER EDUCATION MINISTER, AKRAM CHEHAYEB, SAYING: "This (transfer of students from private to public schools) will have an impact in two areas. The pressure will increase on public schools while contracting is not allowed based on the 2017 law, and hiring is not allowed based on the 2019 budget and around 1,400 teacher retire every year." BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) STUDENTS IN CLASS LISTENING TO TEACHER TEACHER EXPLAINING AND STANDING NEXT TO BOARD TEACHER WALKING IN SCHOOL CORRIDOR ENTRANCE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH STUDENTS AND CARS PASSING BY BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOTHER OF FOUR, SALWA HEMADEH, SAYING: "She didn't adapt well with the students and didn't adapt to the new school because public schools are big and there are many students (enrolled there). But we laid out the truth: either you get your education at this public school or you get no education, honestly." BEIRUT, LEBANON (DECEMBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) STUDENTS IN FRONT OF SCHOOL ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF SCHOOL BUSES WITH STUDENTS OUTSIDE SCHOOL STUDENTS LEAVING SCHOOL
- Embargoed: 1st January 2020 15:32
- Keywords: Budget Crisis Economy Education Fees Private Private Schools Public Schools State Schools Tuition
- Location: BEIRUT, LEBANON
- City: BEIRUT, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Education,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAI5E1H
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Lebanon's economic crisis is forcing families to pull tens of thousands of children out of the private schools that educate most pupils in the country, and into a long-neglected state education system that is already struggling to cope.
Unlike in many countries where private schools are often mainly for the wealthy, Lebanon relies on them to educate two thirds of pupils, with working class families scrimping to afford hundreds of dollars a month in fees.
Those who cannot afford it end up in an under-funded state system that educates 300,000 Lebanese pupils and has put on a second shift in recent years for 200,000 Syrian refugees.
With the worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war having struck this year, 36,000 extra pupils have moved from private school into the state system, Education Minister Akram Chehayeb told Reuters. He expects still more children to follow, with no additional funds or staff to teach them.
"The pressure will increase on public schools," he said. "Due to the 2019 budget, we can't hire new teachers, while 1,400 retire every year."
Eid Ramadan, a hairstylist, struggled to find more than $6,000 a year in total for private school for his two sons. This year he was forced to pull his younger son out.
"My kids are thankfully smart and understanding," he said. "They know we were doing the impossible to keep them (in private school). But we've reached a point where we couldn't. We've hit a brick wall."
The country's long-brewing economic troubles have spiraled into a financial crisis since October, when protests erupted against the ruling elite. Businesses have closed, workers have been laid off and wages cut. Banks are restricting access to cash and the Lebanese pound has slumped.
"The majority of the people can no longer pay thousands of dollars for tuition every year," said Ramadan.
Salwa Hemadeh moved her 14-year-old daughter into a state school this year, having previously moved her three sons out of private education as the economy worsened and her husband's job as a plasterer brought in less income.
"She didn't adapt well to the new school because it was so big and there were so many students. But we laid out the truth: either you get your education at this public school or you get no education," she said.
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