One Million Children Left Without Education After Public Schools Shut Their Doors
Teachers in Lebanon are striking over pay and working conditions, adding to an education crisis that is leaving an estimated one million children without education, said Save the Children.
Strikes started on 9 January, with teachers working the ‘morning shift’, teaching primarily Lebanese children. The following day, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced the suspension of afternoon classes, which are primarily attended by Syrian refugee students, in order to prevent tensions.
All public schools in Lebanon are now closed, bringing the estimated total number of children currently out of school to over one million. This includes almost 300,000 students who are registered to attend the morning shift and nearly 170,000 children from the afternoon shift, as well as over half a million children who were already out of school.
The economic crisis in Lebanon has led to the closure of schools and the disruption of education for over a million children. This is a violation of children’s right to education and will have long-term negative consequences for the future of the country. The situation is made worse by the fact that many of these children are Syrian refugees who have already faced significant challenges in their lives. It is crucial that all stakeholders come together to provide support for these children and their teachers. Education is the key to a more knowledgeable, enlightened, and prosperous society, and it is important that every child has access to the education they deserve.
