Lebanon’s education system is struggling to survive an unprecedented crisis as war forces hundreds of thousands from their homes. Many schools have been converted into shelters for displaced families, with classrooms transformed into sleeping quarters, while others attempt to continue teaching amid security risks and uncertainty.
The Ministry of Education has placed 1,156 public schools and high schools, along with 75 vocational institutes, at the disposal of the national disaster authority. These include 334 public schools, 40 vocational institutes, and 17 centers affiliated with the Lebanese University.
A ministry source told Asharq Al-Awsat that not all facilities have yet been opened, but they will when the need arises.
An education crisis cell now meets daily to monitor developments and make urgent decisions. Early in the conflict, the ministry issued guidelines allowing schools — both public and private — to choose between in-person and remote learning.
The Secretariat General of Catholic Schools also urged each institution to form its own crisis committee to assess local security conditions and determine how to proceed.
Between classrooms and screens
In relatively safer areas, schools have resumed in-person teaching, while offering remote options for students unable to travel. In more dangerous regions, most schools rely exclusively on distance learning.
The Lebanese University has shifted entirely online, postponing student elections scheduled for later this month.
Yet these measures have exposed stark inequalities. Many students, particularly those living in shelters, lack the conditions or resources to follow lessons, even remotely.
Some parents argue that the ministry’s approach fails to ensure equal access to education. Others insist on continuing their children’s schooling wherever possible.
A mother of two in Bsalim, Mount Lebanon, said: “The Lebanese state did not decide this war, so why should we bear its consequences? We will resist in our own way, by educating our children to build a more aware generation that rejects war.”
She added that remote learning had already proven ineffective during the COVID-19 crisis, especially for younger children.
In contrast, a displaced mother living with her four children in a Beirut school described education as a distant concern.
“We cannot secure safety or food, how can we think about schooling?” she asked, warning that continuing classes while much of the country suffers only deepens injustice. “No place in Lebanon is truly safe,” she remarked.
Schools in limbo
School administrations face difficult choices. One major private school in Baabda, near Beirut’s southern suburbs, briefly reopened before closing again after ten days.
“The situation is extremely sensitive,” a staff member said. “We reassess daily to avoid putting students at risk.”
When classes do resume, faculty attempt to soften the impact of nearby airstrikes, sometimes playing low music to mask the sound of explosions.
Lama al-Tawil, head of the union of parents’ committees in private schools, described the situation as “unclear.” She called the ministry’s plan “flexible and positive,” but stressed that implementation remains the real challenge.
“In-person learning is best for those who can attend safely,” she said, “but remote education is not equally accessible and its effectiveness is limited.”
With roughly 40 school days remaining, authorities may extend the academic year if the conflict continues.
Meanwhile, teachers and families alike are navigating not only a security crisis, but a deepening economic one, hoping flexibility will help prevent a lost generation.
