Statement by Akhil Iyer, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon
BEIRUT, 24 January 2025 – “On the International Day of Education, we underscore the importance of education as an essential and fundamental right for every child and commit to continue supporting the Government of Lebanon in providing access to quality and inclusive education for all children in Lebanon.
“Due to the war, the beginning of the 2024-2025 scholastic year was challenging for children, parents and caregivers, teachers and schools. UNICEF supported the Ministry of Education and Higher Education’s (MEHE) emergency response to prevent a lost school year by quickly resuming learning when it was safe and practical. This was not only essential for children’s learning and development but also provided them with much needed social and emotional stability.
“But the job is not yet complete. We urge the Government of Lebanon to continue to place education at the top of the political agenda with a commitment to equitable and efficient domestic public financing to ensure that every child, especially the most vulnerable, can access quality, safe and inclusive education.
“Progress has been made in the education sector in recent years, including through the Transition and Resilience Education Fund (TREF), but there remains a severe education and learning crisis in Lebanon with many children, especially the most marginalised, far behind their peers in the region. The number of out of school children has significantly increased since 2019, with1 in 3 children of all school aged children in Lebanon now estimated to be out of school or out of learning.
“UNICEF and donors remain committed to providing substantial resources to formal and non-formal education programmes in close coordination with MEHE, to ensure that all children in Lebanon have access to education without discrimination. However, we are deeply concerned about barriers limiting access to some children’s right to education. Children should not pay the price of conflicts or political decisions. Preventing equitable access to education risks leaving many children out of school and jeopardizes the investments made, particularly in Lebanon’s public school system.
“Given the negative impacts on children, teachers, and the wider public school system, we strongly encourage decisions that allow all children, regardless of their status, to enrol and attend schools. Children, young people, and teachers should be at the centre of all national efforts to redesign schooling for every child.
“Our partnership with the Government to support education in Lebanon is strong, and we hope to continue our collaboration with partners to accelerate the reforms initiated by MEHE to build a quality, inclusive, and efficient education system.
“We are optimistic that together we can build an education system that equips every child in Lebanon with the skills needed for a brighter future.”
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Since the establishment of the TREF, UNICEF, with the generous support of international partners, has been allocating over USD 85m million annually to support MEHE programmes on education which reach children in public schools, and which accelerate progress to improve performance of the education system. Highlights include:
– Disbursing funds in USD directly to 1,074 public schools which allow for schools to cover basic costs of operations. All children in public schools benefit from this investment, no matter what their nationality. In the absence of domestic government funding for school operating costs, TREF disbursements have been critical in supporting functioning of Lebanon’s public schools.
– Paying directly in USD the salaries of 14,000 Lebanese special contract teachers and educational staff across morning and afternoon shifts; contributing to their ability to make ends meet during an unprecedented economic crisis
– Printing more than 2.8 million textbooks in math, languages and sciences to cover all students registered in public schools from KG to Grade 12.
– Supporting MEHE develop the National Inclusive Education Policy for Children with Disabilities and related costed Action Plan and Operational Handbook for schools. In addition, UNICEF supports the scale-up of inclusive education for children with disabilities in 110 public schools.
– Rehabilitating 110 public schools and solarizing 272 public schools to reduce reliance on expensive fuel and ensure access to reliable energy.
– Constructing 4 new public schools equipped with solar energy systems.
– Launching the Madristi, a free to access digital learning platform for blended and remote learning, and aligned to the Lebanese curriculum
About UNICEF
Working in Lebanon for over 70 years, UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
For more information about UNICEF Lebanon and our work for children, visit www.unicef.org/lebanon/