Israel’s assault on Lebanon jeopardises education for 1 million students

Israel's assault on Lebanon has put the future of the country's 1 million students in the balance.

The education ministry recently announced plans to postpone the start of the academic year for public schools until November 4. The emergency measure was implemented amid ongoing Israeli aggression, as many schools are currently occupied by internally displaced people.

But the decision has come under intense scrutiny.

What some officials have dubbed a "dream plan" was described by others as a "phantom plan," highlighting the deep divisions over its feasibility and effectiveness. As Lebanon grapples with multiple crises, from economic collapse to all-out war, the education sector stands at a critical crossroads.

Lebanese Minister of Education Abbas Halabi, serving in a caretaker capacity, faces mounting criticism over his ministry's approach to the crisis.

His plan, officially branded as an education rescue initiative, has been challenged by experts, parents, and teachers who argue it violates existing laws and contradicts Lebanese constitutional principles of equality and justice.

In a telephone interview with TRT World, Nader Hadifa, an advisor to the interim minister, explained that the ministry's plan is in its final stages and will be implemented in early November.

"Registration will be electronic and free of charge, and includes public and private schools. Private schools providing in-person education must obtain the approval of parents' committees and sign a pledge taking full responsibility for any risks that may occur. They must also ensure the necessary technology for online learning," he said.

Essentially, the ministry has said that the onus is on parents and private school administrators to keep students safe if they opt for in-person teaching. The ministry has also encouraged the use of online or hybrid methods instead.

Through a combination of day and evening classes and school days during the weekends, the plan hopes to accommodate the displaced school children using existing resources.

Digital divide and infrastructure challenges

But Rania Merhi, a sociology teacher at the Ministry of Education, questions whether the appropriate infrastructure for remote or hybrid learning even exists.

"We might as well call it the phantom plan. All the minister and his team have done is hold press conferences and make media appearances to talk about a plan that exists only in their imagination, seeking funding for what will likely be another futile academic year," she said.

The communications manager was also asked if free internet would be provided to students, which he "refused categorically. This shows that the education ministry is unable to plan or find suitable alternatives," she added.

Teachers have also expressed concerns about working in the evenings, as they are only contractually required to work during the day, and many have taken up second jobs at night to make ends meet.

Merhi noted that what is even more dangerous is how such seemingly arbitrary decisions threaten core concepts of social justice and the equality enshrined in the Lebanese constitution.

"Where does the ministry's plan stand in relation to sustainable development goals, specifically the fourth goal: quality education?"

The challenges of online learning are particularly acute for younger students. Ghinwa Al-Mashtoub, a mother of two including a seven-year-old in primary school, voiced some common parental concerns.

"How effective will this online or hybrid teaching method be, especially with intermittent internet and electricity? I'm particularly concerned about the impact on younger children and how they readjust when we eventually return to normal schooling," Mashtoub told TRT World.

Her seven-year-old son, Basel Ghawi, says he wants to go to school.

"I prefer learning at school over online because the internet lines aren't good, and sometimes I can't understand the teacher because the sound isn't clear. At school, I can ask my teacher to repeat things so I can understand, and I can play with my friends," he said.

Impact of war

Israel began a relentless series of air raids in late September, followed by ground incursions into southern Lebanon and attacks on several front-line UNIFIL positions in early October. So far, over 2,400 people have been killed and over 11,200 wounded.

Israel has said it aims to destroy the infrastructure of Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah has been trading fire with the Israeli army since October last year, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The escalation of conflict along Lebanon's southern border has exacerbated an already dire situation. With Israeli strikes targeting densely populated areas across the country, schools have been forced to convert to evacuation centres, particularly in four governorates: South Lebanon, Nabatieh, Bekaa, and Baalbek-Hermel.

According to the United Nations migration agency IOM, almost 1.2 million Lebanese have been internally displaced, 78 percent of whom were forced to move outside the boundaries of their governorate of origin.

The Ministry of Education has struggled to track the displacement of approximately 400,000 students and 40,000 teachers from both public and private school systems, who were forced to leave their homes. This mass displacement has created an unprecedented logistical challenge for education authorities trying to maintain academic continuity.

All this comes within a devastating context for Lebanese school-age children who have been grappling with instability since the teachers strikes for better pay and working conditions in January 2023 which, according to Save the Children, left an estimated 1 million children without education.

Systemic failures and teacher struggles

According to Merhi, the current crisis has only aggravated fundamental issues within the education system.

"The plan completely ignores the driving force of the educational process – the teacher. Since the Covid 19 crisis, teachers have been spending their own money to support state education, depleting their savings while waiting for the state to recover. We've been reduced to a bargaining chip, used to extract grants and aid from various sources," she said.

She also pointed out the stark deterioration in teachers' working conditions.

After 24 years experience of teaching and with advanced degrees in local development and anthropology, Merhi's monthly salary has plummeted from $2,000 to $250.

"This consists of seven payments disguised as social assistance that won't even count toward my retirement benefits. The ministry has managed to secure an additional $300 in incentives from donor countries, but these are conditional on attendance days, effectively turning us from civil servants into day labourers," she said.

The situation is particularly galling for career educators who entered the profession through a rigorous vetting process.

"We entered the state's employment through civil service council examinations meant to select the most qualified candidates," Merhi notes. "Now we find ourselves begging for basic dignities while the minister travels to France seeking grants."

Psychological toll

Instability with schooling could have lasting effects on children in Lebanon, experts have warned.

Dr. Randa Shlita, a clinical psychologist and researcher, said displaced students in particular could suffer a severe psychological impact.

"The situation has moved beyond the realm of psychology into the domain of crimes against children. Instability opens the door to numerous psychological problems such as anxiety, panic attacks, and an inability to focus across various aspects of life," she said.

Speaking to TRT World, the psychologist emphasised that these issues could require long-term pharmaceutical and psychological treatment.

"In Europe, psychological crisis units are typically established after seismic events to treat and rehabilitate people, especially children. The absence of such support systems in Lebanon compounds the trauma," she said.

Educational inequality is also a concern among some families.

Darine Zeytouni, a mother of three children in preschool, elementary and middle school who attend public schools, slammed online teaching.

"During the Covid-19 pandemic, even without a war, there were interruptions in electricity and the internet. So how will it work with three students at the same time? How will a preschool child learn and focus online? It's a completely failed system. And if they go to school in person, can they afford the energy bills, especially with winter approaching?" she asked.

Zeytouni noted the advantage of private education which she cannot afford at $5,000 per student, not including transportation, books, and other expenses, all while public school children receive nothing as their teachers struggle with severely devalued salaries.

Looking ahead

As Lebanon's education sector struggles to find its footing, the challenges continue to multiply, says Nehmeh Mahfoud, Head of the Teachers in Private Schools Syndicate in Lebanon, who emphasises the importance of maintaining in-person education where possible.

"A single day of in-person learning is equivalent to 10 to 15 days of remote learning," Mahfoud told TRT World. "We're trying to offer as much as we can in in-person instruction now because we don't know how the situation will develop or deteriorate."

The need for a comprehensive, workable solution is more urgent than ever, he notes.

"The current crisis threatens not just the immediate education of students but also the long-term prospects of an entire generation," Mahfoud added.

For students like Yara Hassoun, a 19-year-old in her final year of secondary school, the uncertainties weigh heavily.

Speaking to TRT World, she said "These multiple crises have deeply affected my studies. I lost the motivation to go to school and learn. I was supposed to finish high school and join a private university, but this has become an impossible dream because of the economic situation and now, the war."

This article was published in collaboration with Egab.