President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, met a delegation from the Syndicate of Teachers in private Schools, headed by Rodolph Abboud, today at the Presidential Palace.
The meeting addressed teacher conditions in private schools, and the problems which they suffer from in light of the current financial crisis which Lebanon is witnessing.
Mr. Abboud stated the most prominent problems which the sector suffers from in light of the current conditions “Which motivated thousands of teachers to emigrate from the educational sector or to emigrate the homeland in search of job opportunities which meets some of the needs of a normal life, especially after the promises received”.
“The teachers’ crisis extended even after their retirement, and those who retired among them were deprived of their rights in Law 46 and in the six grades, and the suffering continues” Abboud added.
In addition, Abboud also pointed out the teachers’ suffering in terms of their inability to obtain hospitalization after the high financial cost of doing so, indicating that the educational officials of private schools should implement Law 46 and give six grades to all teachers and professors, as well as pay the arrears resulting from the non-application of this law, give additional financial incentives to teachers and apply the new transportation allowance.
Abboud also pointed out that “Political officials should form a government capable of restoring the country’s advancement to be able to carry out its national duties under difficult circumstances, curb the insane rise of the dollar, return what was possible to return from the purchasing value of our national currency and carry out the necessary reforms, in addition to securing fuel for teachers to move to schools via monthly vouchers, the issuance of the financing card as an integral part of the correction of salaries and wages, the approval of the 500 billion Lebanese pound bill for education in the public and private sectors, the approval of the student support law in public and private schools at one million Lebanese pounds, in addition to the support of the guarantor institutions, in addition to pressuring the BDL and the Association of Banks to release the salaries of serving teachers and the salaries and compensations of retired teachers”.
Statement:
After the meeting, Abboud made the following statement:
“We were honored to meet His Excellency the President, who gives priority to finding solutions to the problems that Lebanon suffers from, especially the problems of the educational sector and teachers. In fact, we leave our meeting with His Excellency the President assured that the problems we presented to him will receive sufficient attention and effective solutions.
We hope that the formation of the government will facilitate the implementation of the required reforms and that the entire educational sector will cooperate in what between them”.
Questions & Answers:
Asked about the fate of the school year, Abboud indicated that “Our efforts are focused on returning to the implementation of the attendance return, and this is our desire and will. We also know that this return saves the families the problems that they have suffered during the past two years. But there are simple obstacles that need to be resolved by a will”.
“Teachers are part of the society and their needs are increasing today in light of these conditions. Therefore, in order to be able to go to their schools and return from them, it is known what is the solution as well as what is the problem. We put President Aoun in the midst of these problems and the Syndicate’s endeavors, and our constant readiness to meet with private educational institutions, on the background of our keenness on them, because they include more than 70 or 80 percent of the Lebanese society”
Source: National News Agency