Beirut, 2 May 2018
In line with the long-standing cooperation between UNICEF and the French government as well as a long history of bilateral cooperation between France and Lebanon in support of education, French ambassador to Lebanon Bruno Foucher visited the Furn El Shebbak Intermediate Public School to highlight the importance of equal access to education. The joint visit with UNICEF Representative Tanya Chapuisat was headed by His Excellency the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Mr. Marwan Hamade and attended by members of the press. By funding the Lebanese public education system, the French Government contributed to the progressive fulfilment of the right to education for every child. The French contribution mainly prioritized the enrolment and retention of Lebanese and non-Lebanese school-aged children in formal public education and the improvement of the quality of education through the provision of school supplies and teacher training, as outlined in the national Reaching All Children with Education (RACE) plan. This contribution will also help build a new school. “We shall always emphasize on the importance of Education. Education is not a privilege or a gift; it is a right for every girl and boy,” said Tanya Chapuisat, UNICEF’s representative in Lebanon. “it is only through education that we can end inter-generational cycles of poverty and discrimination. Through generous contribution from the French government and donor countries, we will continue supporting the ministry in improving quality and access to all forms of education for all children across Lebanon”. “Education is a priority for France,” said ambassador Foucher. “It is the reason why we allocated 32 million Euros to this priority allowing access to school to 203,000 children. We are striving with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and UNICEF to help more children and to contribute to building new public schools”. He continues: “Our support targets all vulnerable populations, be it refugees or host communities, as we know Lebanon made an unprecedented effort in this area. We stand in solidarity with everyone in Lebanon. In addition, by helping refugees, France focuses on youth and education because the war in Syria must not create a lost generation. The RACE program allows refugee children to access education, preparing their return to their country that they have to rebuild”.
For further information please contact: Blanche Baz, Communication Officer UNICEF Lebanon, Tel: +961 3 331874, email: [email protected] Maya Outayek, Communication Associate, UNICEF Lebanon, Tel: +961 70 190 634, email: [email protected]
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