NNA – Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, met this afternoon at Ain al-Tineh Palace with caretaker Minister of Education and Higher Education, Abbas al-Halabi, with whom he reviewed the general conditions in the country and the repercussions of the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon, particularly its impact on the educational sector, the future of the academic year, and various educational affairs.
Following the meeting, al-Halabi said he conferred with the Speaker on an array of topics at the national and educational levels. He added that he informed Speaker Berri of the field visit to be conducted by a working team from the Education Ministry to the South next Tuesday to survey the situation on the ground and discuss with school principals and educational officials in the region about their needs pertaining to remote learning.
He added: ldquo;We also tackled the issue of the displaced who moved to safe areas in the response centers, and other issues related to the educational status, the allocations to the Education Ministry, the annual budget and the Lebanese University…It was a very fruitful discussion meeting, for which I thank the Speaker…rdquo;
In response to a question about the issue of canceling official exams, the Education Minister said: ldquo;I do not know why the matter was understood in this manner…It has not been decided yet, but we are in the context of amending and developing the curricula. There are new things we are thinking of, but so far no decision has been taken…I do not know why this confusion occurred, for I did not make any such announcement and it is too early to tackle this issue.rdquo;
Responding to another question, al-Halabi affirmed that the smooth flow of the scholastic year is a national concern and not just the concern and responsibility of the Education Minister.
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=========R.Sh.