A consensus has been reached between private educational institutions and the Teachers' Union in a meeting presided over by the Caretaker Minister of Education, Abbas Halabi, on Tuesday. The union has called off the planned strike, and Wednesday will proceed as a regular school day.
On Tuesday evening, the Teachers' Union for Private Schools announced that Wednesday “will operate as a typical teaching day in private institutions. This decision is a result of a consensus reached at the Ministry of Education between the Union and the Private Educational Institutions Union, with the active participation of parent committees.”
This statement was released after a Tuesday afternoon meeting with the Caretaker Minister of Education, Abbas Halabi, with the primary goal of addressing the pension adjustment matter for private school teachers.
In this context, Mahfoud underscored that “there won't be any problem if the agreement is officially signed within the next 48 hours.” Otherwise, he would “once again convene general assemblies” of the Teachers' Union.
Within this framework, Halabi asserted that “private educational institutions are committed to providing a minimum of 60 billion Lebanese pounds per month to the compensation fund in order to ensure the fulfillment of retirement pension payments.”
In an interview with This is Beirut, Father Youssef Nasr, the Secretary-General of Catholic schools, clarified that the current monthly amount is 10 billion Lebanese pounds. In line with the recently reached agreement, the amount has been multiplied by six. Father Nasr indicated that a 48-hour grace period has been requested, in this context, to “engage in consultations with all private educational institutions" and to secure their consent. It is during this timeframe that “the protocol will be signed with the Teachers' Union in the presence of Halabi, who will be responsible for submitting it to the Cabinet for endorsement.”
In his statement to This is Beirut, Mahfoud underscored that “this agreement served as an interim solution, awaiting legislative measures.”
As a reminder, two laws regarding the funding of the compensation fund and the budget of private schools were initially voted on by MPs on December 15 and later endorsed by the Cabinet on December 19. However, following the protest of private schools, these laws were referred back to Parliament at the end of the Cabinet meeting on January 12. Consequently, earlier on Tuesday, Mahfoud announced that “the union will submit an invalidation appeal” against this action, aiming at restoring the validity of these laws.
Certainly, during the meeting, Halabi declared that the referral of the laws is “a fait accompli" and that “it is necessary to currently consider new steps,” given that it is Parliament's responsibility to review this dossier.
When he summoned both parties for a meeting on Sunday, he emphasized that “the referral of the laws served as an invitation to reinforce the possibilities for dialogue rather than a tool for confrontation.” The aim is for all parties to “collaboratively agree on a protocol for the implementation of the law,” namely the Private Educational Institutions Union, the Teachers’ Union, the compensation fund, and parents’ committees.
He indicated that “the atmosphere of the meeting was overwhelmingly positive” and that the different parties were working in “complete cooperation, to maintain the continuity of the school year for the benefit of the students.” According to him, “There is a unanimous agreement on the necessity of restoring fairness for teachers who have dedicated numerous years in the service of their schools.”
In parallel, retired teachers from private schools held a sit-in outside the Ministry of Education headquarters at UNESCO, claiming their “right to a respectable pension, just like their counterparts in the public sector.”
On Tuesday evening, the Teachers' Union for Private Schools announced that Wednesday “will operate as a typical teaching day in private institutions. This decision is a result of a consensus reached at the Ministry of Education between the Union and the Private Educational Institutions Union, with the active participation of parent committees.”
This statement was released after a Tuesday afternoon meeting with the Caretaker Minister of Education, Abbas Halabi, with the primary goal of addressing the pension adjustment matter for private school teachers.
In this context, Mahfoud underscored that “there won't be any problem if the agreement is officially signed within the next 48 hours.” Otherwise, he would “once again convene general assemblies” of the Teachers' Union.
Within this framework, Halabi asserted that “private educational institutions are committed to providing a minimum of 60 billion Lebanese pounds per month to the compensation fund in order to ensure the fulfillment of retirement pension payments.”
In an interview with This is Beirut, Father Youssef Nasr, the Secretary-General of Catholic schools, clarified that the current monthly amount is 10 billion Lebanese pounds. In line with the recently reached agreement, the amount has been multiplied by six. Father Nasr indicated that a 48-hour grace period has been requested, in this context, to “engage in consultations with all private educational institutions" and to secure their consent. It is during this timeframe that “the protocol will be signed with the Teachers' Union in the presence of Halabi, who will be responsible for submitting it to the Cabinet for endorsement.”
In his statement to This is Beirut, Mahfoud underscored that “this agreement served as an interim solution, awaiting legislative measures.”
As a reminder, two laws regarding the funding of the compensation fund and the budget of private schools were initially voted on by MPs on December 15 and later endorsed by the Cabinet on December 19. However, following the protest of private schools, these laws were referred back to Parliament at the end of the Cabinet meeting on January 12. Consequently, earlier on Tuesday, Mahfoud announced that “the union will submit an invalidation appeal” against this action, aiming at restoring the validity of these laws.
Certainly, during the meeting, Halabi declared that the referral of the laws is “a fait accompli" and that “it is necessary to currently consider new steps,” given that it is Parliament's responsibility to review this dossier.
When he summoned both parties for a meeting on Sunday, he emphasized that “the referral of the laws served as an invitation to reinforce the possibilities for dialogue rather than a tool for confrontation.” The aim is for all parties to “collaboratively agree on a protocol for the implementation of the law,” namely the Private Educational Institutions Union, the Teachers’ Union, the compensation fund, and parents’ committees.
He indicated that “the atmosphere of the meeting was overwhelmingly positive” and that the different parties were working in “complete cooperation, to maintain the continuity of the school year for the benefit of the students.” According to him, “There is a unanimous agreement on the necessity of restoring fairness for teachers who have dedicated numerous years in the service of their schools.”
In parallel, retired teachers from private schools held a sit-in outside the Ministry of Education headquarters at UNESCO, claiming their “right to a respectable pension, just like their counterparts in the public sector.”
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