October 17, 2026
The educational crisis escalated in Lebanon a month after the start of the school year, with the accompanying paralysis affecting a number of schools and classrooms and the expulsion of thousands of teachers. In this context, the Association of Contracted Teachers in Public Basic Education raised the ceiling on its movements, giving the concerned authorities a deadline ending on Sunday evening to issue a decision requiring the teachers to return to their classes, or else resort to the streets on Monday.
The association explained in a statement that the decision to suspend 3,500 teachers who were employed and working on school funds resulted in the closure of a number of schools, the disruption of others, and the cessation of half of the classes from work, in addition to depriving thousands of students and teachers of their rights in the educational process.
The association pointed out that it took action from the first day of the school year by carrying out a sit-in in front of the Ministry of Education and organizing a series of protests in coordination with parents’ committees, in addition to submitting a complaint to the General Educational Inspectorate to investigate the negative repercussions of this decision on the formal education sector.
In a remarkable development, the president of the association, Dr. Nisreen Shaheen, revealed through intermediaries that UNICEF did not inform the Ministry of Education to stop funding the wages of hired teachers, and did not recommend that they be released or discuss this matter with the ministry, confirming that the organization learned of the decision through the media.
The association indicated that UNICEF had funded the Ministry of Education last year with $50 million, of which $40 was allocated to public schools for each Lebanese student and $80 for each Syrian student, despite the decline in the number of refugee students in the afternoon shift to 20,000 students.
Despite the financial challenges facing the current academic year, the Association reported that efforts are underway to find a way out that will ensure the return of contracted and hired teachers and those working on the funds to their schools on Monday morning, in a way that suits the actual needs of each school.
The association concluded its statement by emphasizing that Sunday evening is the final deadline for issuing the required decision, warning that if the teachers do not return to work on Monday morning, it will organize protest movements in cooperation with parents’ committees, with the details to be announced in due time, emphasizing in a decisive phrase: “Monday morning, either education will be organized in public schools, or you will witness protest movements.”
