October 7, 2026
As the final picture of student numbers nears completion with the end of the registration phase, the issue of public schools facing a decline in student numbers returns to the forefront of attention, especially in areas that have witnessed displacement or demographic contraction as a result of recent security developments, amid questions about the fate of institutions that may suffer from difficulties in continuing.
In this context, the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Rima Karami, explained in an interview with the “Lebanon Debate” website that the school consolidation project has not been finally decided yet, indicating that any anticipated amendments will not be discussed until after the registration process is completed and the numbers are accurately stated, stressing that “there is nothing yet” in terms of closing or merging schools. In response to questions about schools in which registration has not been completed, Karami stressed that the Ministry is communicating with the relevant teams to closely follow the situation, waiting for the complete student scene to be clear.
In a message she addressed to the students of the South, Karami noted that the region had the highest enrollment rate in public schools, noting that one of the schools had returned to its primary location despite its presence in an area that was still not completely safe. She concluded by saying to the students of the South: “We are learning from you, and remain steadfast.”
For its part, educational sources revealed to “Lebanon Debate” that the crisis is not limited to rental and equipment files only, but is mainly related to the lack of the minimum number of students to cover the operational costs of some equipped schools. However, the sources confirmed that the Ministry of Education looks at the continuity of schools from a broader perspective that goes beyond financial and administrative accounts, to ensure that the presence of formal education is maintained in villages and areas affected by migration and displacement.
Regarding the southern governorates, the sources indicated that the security situation led to the closure of a number of schools and the transfer of their students to other areas such as Sidon, where the Ministry is working to redistribute them according to the absorptive capacity of each region. On the other hand, the sources pointed out the existence of schools in villages that did not previously contain large numbers, but today they are in dire need to reactivate and accommodate arrivals from other regions.
Regarding the reality of education in areas close to the front lines, the sources reported that some schools continue to open their doors in person, as is the case in Nabatieh, while other schools adopt alternative options such as recording lessons and broadcasting them via video. The sources confirmed that the Ministry does not apply a unilateral model, but rather adopts a flexible educational plan that gives each school a margin to deal with its own circumstances, the security situation, and the ability of families and students to move, based on its awareness of the variation in field data between one region and another.
