Education Minister Rima Karami met with educators and municipal officials from Nabatieh to discuss reopening schools on schedule and addressing damage to buildings in the security-affected region.
Education Minister Rima Karami held talks with a delegation from Nabatieh comprising municipal and school officials, including representatives from Hassan Kamel al-Sabbah public secondary school, Kafr Remman girls secondary school, and several other institutions in the area.
The delegation informed Karami of educational conditions across the Nabatieh region and the security situation, and expressed their desire to begin the school year on schedule with in-person classes. The two sides discussed measures to support that plan.
Karami welcomed the delegation and praised their commitment to ensuring educational continuity in line with the ministry's goals. She said the ministry's plan seeks to preserve state schools, including those damaged or destroyed.
The minister emphasised flexibility in the school year start based on the geographic location of each institution, allowing for combined learning, distance education or in-person classes depending on circumstances.
Those gathered, speaking through Karami, called on the President, Speaker of Parliament and Prime Minister to strengthen security by increasing army and security force presence and reopening the General Security headquarters office.
Karami said she would coordinate with the Southern Sector Council on repairing damaged schools and confirmed that the first four weeks of the school year would remain flexible and subject to adjustment based on ground conditions.
She called on school directors to maintain continuous contact with families and teachers to track their whereabouts and preserve the relationship between schools and their students and staff.
State schools can consider relocating to available alternative buildings, she said, noting that the Southern Sector Council is ready to assist with repairs. Private schools needing to move to alternative premises will have procedures streamlined, though building safety standards will not be compromised.
Karami undertook to follow up with the compensation fund on requests from private schools temporarily forced to close, to ensure teachers are not dropped from the fund and do not lose compensation benefits.
