The Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Rima Karami, issued a circular addressed to private higher education institutions, stipulating the organization of make-up final exams for students in the spring semester of 2025-2026 residing in the areas located within or adjacent to the Israeli targets, as well as for students who may face security risks while traveling to and from their universities.
Karami stressed that the decision comes to preserve the safety of the students and not expose them to danger in light of the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and to provide them with the opportunity to pursue their educational attainment without the security conditions affecting their academic path.
The Ministry asked private universities to monitor and document the conditions of the students concerned, and provide educational, psychological, social and financial support to them, in addition to providing means of distance education and everything that allows them to continue their studies and academic achievement.
The circular also stipulated that the included students be exempted from the requirement to attend final exams when this poses an actual threat to their safety, and that any pressure should be prohibited to urge them to go to the exam centers.
The Ministry obligated universities to organize in-person make-up exams for absent students within the specified cases, provided that they are conducted according to the same academic standards approved for final exams, and that they are organized on later dates not later than Friday, October 30, 2026.
The circular stressed the necessity of using various means of communication and electronic platforms to inform students of their rights and procedures for benefiting from make-up exams, while preserving the right of every student to fairly submit to these exams as soon as the security risks disappear.
The Ministry stressed the importance of documenting student requests, records of make-up exams, and the results associated with them, calling on educational institutions to coordinate with the General Directorate of Higher Education regarding any cases that cannot be treated in accordance with the provisions of the circular.
The Ministry of Education concluded by stressing the need for private universities to commit to implementing these measures in a way that achieves the interests of students and preserves their safety in light of the current exceptional circumstances.
