BEIRUT: The Ministry of Education decided on Tuesday to suspend afternoon classes attended by Syrian refugee students in Lebanon’s public schools, after teachers had earlier ended morning sessions allocated to Lebanese students in such establishments.
Albert Chamoun, an adviser at the ministry, told Arab News that the decision was taken “because the administrative and educational authority cannot suspend morning classes attended by Lebanese students, while maintaining the afternoon shifts allocated to Syrian refugee students.”
He added: “Donor countries are not going to pay teachers’ wages.
“The ministry had secured some incentives in dollars last year for the teachers through previous accounts, but failed to secure these incentives this year.
“Teachers rejected a proposal by the minister of education to receive $5 for every working day, which would amount to $70 per month, but they insist on receiving $100. This is why the situation is a mess now.”
The decision to end teaching for Syrian students was announced by Imad Achkar, director general of education, who said “it was taken in accordance with the principle of equality.”
He added: “We receive everyone and our hearts are open to everybody, but it’s unacceptable for non-Lebanese children to receive an education, while our Lebanese children are deprived of it.
“Therefore, we announce the suspension of afternoon classes for non-Lebanese, pending a solution for the morning classes issue.”
Administrators and teachers of Syrian students receive their salaries in dollars from donors, according to prior agreements.
Teachers at public schools held protests throughout Lebanon on Monday. Hundreds of teachers sat out classes after they arrived at school and signed the attendance register.
They held sit-ins in school playgrounds, despite being pressured by political parties, including Hezbollah, to work.
Teachers have also ignored the will of their unions and decided to take to the streets to protest at their conditions.
High school teacher Ali Al-Dehni said: “We’ve been suffering for three years because of false promises and scarce incentives.
“Teaching has been an uphill battle and we are paying from our own money for fuel so we can drive to schools and carry out our educational duty.”
Meanwhile, Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad has announced that “subsidies have been completely lifted off baby formula for lack of a plan capable of controlling smuggling and selling in the market.”
Abiad said that “the subsidized quantity was enough for two countries and we were probably purchasing a quantity that suffices two countries,” in a clear reference to the issue of smuggling of the formula into Syria.
Infant and baby formula was the only type of milk still subsidized.
Joe Salloum, president of the pharmacists union, said that over the past week the milk had been missing in pharmacies and was available on the black market.
Separately, dozens of relatives of victims of the Beirut port explosion gathered in front of the Justice Palace to protest at the stalled investigation into the case.
The probe into the crime, which took place over two years ago, has been suspended for nearly 12 months as a result of complaints filed against investigating judge Tarek Bitar.
Scuffles took place between protesters and security forces deployed to protect the Justice Palace, resulting in some injuries.
The protest coincided with the arrival of European investigators in Beirut to question Riad Salameh, Lebanon’s central bank governor, and a meeting of the Supreme Judicial Council to request the appointment of judges of the Court of Cassation.
William Noun, a spokesperson for the families affected by the port explosion, said: “We’ve had enough of empty words while waiting for a solution to our case. Peaceful protests are no longer useful.”
Teaching suspended for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon’s public schools
https://arab.news/26pgm
Teaching suspended for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon’s public schools
- The decision to end teaching for Syrian students was announced by Imad Achkar, director general of education
- Administrators and teachers of Syrian students receive their salaries in dollars from donors, according to prior agreements
Kuwait airport targeted as Iran presses on with attacks on Gulf states
KUWAIT CITY/DUBAI: Gulf nations on Sunday reported new missile and drone attacks, while Iran vowed to press on with strikes against neighboring countries as the war entered its second week.
Kuwait’s defense ministry and Kuwait's Public Authority for Civil Aviation said that the country’s forces were “responding to a wave of hostile drones” that penetrated the country’s airspace.
“The fuel tanks of Kuwait International Airport were attacked by drones in a direct targeting of vital infrastructure,” the defense ministry spokesman said, according to a post by the Kuwaiti military on X.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense was also reporting a wave of drone attacks, saying 21 unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted and destroyed in the last four hours.
Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said in separate posts on X that 13 drones were intercepted and destroyed east of the national capital, Riyadh city, while eight drones were shot down just after entering Saudi air space.
Before midnight on Saturday, loud explosions were heard in Dubai, the Qatari capital Doha and Bahrain’s Manama, with attacks reported in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, where the national oil company announced a “precautionary” cut to production.
The attacks came despite Iran’s president earlier apologizing to Gulf countries for earlier strikes. He had said they would no longer be targeted unless strikes were launched from their territory first.
Hours later, Iran said it would continue conducting strikes on sites in Gulf countries which were “at the disposal of the enemy.”
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a rare televised address that the Emirates were in “a period of war” and “will emerge stronger” from it.
Dubai authorities said Saturday evening one person had been killed by debris from an “aerial interception,” adding they were a Pakistani national.
Dubai airport closed, reopens
Earlier in the day, Dubai closed its main airport — the world’s busiest for international traffic — after authorities said an unidentified object was intercepted nearby.
The government said there had been “a minor incident resulting from the fall of debris after an interception,” without directly mentioning the airport. It said there were no injuries.
The Flightradar24 tracking website earlier showed planes circling above the airport in an apparent holding pattern.
In a statement since deleted from X, Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, had announced it was suspending all flights to and from Dubai until further notice, but later said it had resumed operations.
The UAE, a US ally and home to American military installations, has been the most heavily targeted nation in the Gulf during the war.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Defense said that of the 16 ballistic missiles fired at the country on Saturday, all but one had been intercepted, with that missile falling into the sea.
Of the 121 drones detected, 119 were brought down, while two fell within Emirati territory.
The barrage brings the number of ballistic missiles detected by the UAE since the start of the war last Saturday to 221, the defense ministry said, with the number of drones surpassing 1,300.
Flights from Dubai’s main airport had partially resumed on Monday despite daily drone attacks targeting sites in the UAE.
Last Saturday, four employees were injured and an airport terminal damaged as the war broke out following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Iranian attacks have also hit Abu Dhabi airport, the upmarket Palm Jumeirah development and the Burj Al Arab luxury hotel over the past week, while drone debris caused a fire at the US consulate in Dubai on Tuesday.
Relentless air threats
Elsewhere in the Gulf on Saturday, Qatar’s defense ministry said its military had intercepted two missile attacks targeting the country.
Kuwait said Saturday night it had intercepted seven drones since dawn, with the attacks resulting “only in material damage from falling debris.”
And Bahrain said it has intercepted and 92 missiles and 151 drones since the start of the “brutal Iranian aggression.”
AFP journalists heard an explosion Saturday night in Manama, Bahrain’s capital, as authorities said one person was injured after rocket shrapnel fell in a public street.
In Saudi Arabia, the defense ministry said it had destroyed three ballistic missiles heading toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts American troops, as well as 17 drones over the Shaybah oil field in the southeast.
Kuwait also reported intercepting a drone, while the country’s national oil company announced a “precautionary” cut to its production of crude due to Iranian attacks and threats to the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for Gulf hydrocarbons.
Further north, Jordan accused Iran of directly targeting sites in the kingdom, saying Tehran had fired 119 missiles and drones in the past week.
“These missiles and drones were targeting vital installations inside Jordan and were not passing through our territories,” said military spokesman Brig. Gen. Mustafa Hayari.
(With AFP)
