Like other sectors, the education sector has been affected by the explosion that rocked the Port of Beirut early this month.
It caused varying degrees of damage to several public and private schools. Maya Samaha, head of the Engineering Department at the Ministry of Education, confirmed that “the number of schools damaged by the explosion has reached 159.” Of these, 92 are public and 67 private, all of which have about 190,000 students, she added.
She told Asharq Al-Awsat that “30 of these schools were very badly damaged, especially in the Ashrafieh area and the areas across from the port.” Making the situation worse, the explosion coincided with the end of the summer vacation.
Samaha revealed that a survey of the damage confirmed that no school had been completely destroyed or was beyond repair. Repairs have so far been limited to windows, doors and glass. It may take between two weeks and a month for those repairs to be complete.
As for severely damaged and partially destroyed schools, repairing them, according to Samaha, could take between three to five months, meaning students will not be able to return to them with the beginning of the new academic year.
Minister of education in the caretaker government, Tarek Mazjoub announced the school year would start on September 28. Lessons will be given either remotely or in a hybrid system, which mixes attendance with distance learning, depending on the coronavirus pandemic.
The damaged schools’ inability to welcome students at the start of the school year does not mean that they will not start at the scheduled date.
Samaha said that several options can be pursued, such as using the schools' repaired sections or having some students enrolled in nearby schools. She noted that adopting a hybrid approach would make finding space for students more manageable.
Concerning the cost of repairs, it is estimated at 24 million dollars and the money required has begun to become available recently, especially since a large number of international institutions announced their intentions to help. They include the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
After a tour of several damaged schools, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay announced that UNESCO would coordinate with local authorities to develop a plan and secure funding to rebuild schools affected by the explosion and will support the educational sector in general.
The start of the school year in Lebanon faces an array obstacles. In addition to the physical damage to schools, the acute economic crisis may push many parents to transfer their children to public schools, which are already close to maximum capacity.
Of course, the coronavirus pandemic, which is getting worse, is another hindrance to the academic year.
