The Ministry of Education and Higher Education organized a closing ceremony for the 2023 ‘Summer School’

24 August 2023 – As part of Lebanon’s National Learning Recovery Initiative which benefits all Grade 1-9 students in public schools, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) held a closing ceremony for this year’s summer school, a program aimed to help students catch up on lost learning and prepare them for the upcoming school year.

The summer school programme was developed by MEHE-CERD in partnership with UNICEF through funding from the European Union, Germany through KfW Development Bank and Switzerland, UNHCR, WFP, and USAID-funded QITABI.  For the third year, the summer catch-up program was essential to ensure learning continuity to 157,941 children, no matter what their nationality, following the multiple learning disruptions they faced this year.

The Minister of Education in the caretaker government, Abbas Al-Halabi, pointed out that "the major challenge facing us the ability to open schools for the new academic year." He also noted that "the success of the third-year summer school has positively impacted everyone, from students to teachers. It has helped compensate for some of the learning loss that students have experienced. This success forms the cornerstone for further collaboration and achieving other successes in education, for the upcoming generations."

The 2023 Summer School was implemented in 588 public schools all over Lebanon, reaching Lebanese and non-Lebanese children from Grades 1 to 9. The curriculum included Math, Science, English/French, and Arabic. The program also nurtured children’s wellbeing and social emotional learning through physical education, psychosocial support, and art activities making the learning environment more fun and engaging.

“The European Union's commitment to supporting the education sector in Lebanon is rooted in the understanding that education is a fundamental human right and a powerful tool for empowerment, social cohesion and sustainable development.” Said Olivier Boudar, Team Leader on Governance and Social Sectors at the Delegation of the European Union in Lebanon, “By investing in education, the European Union aims to build a society where every child can learn, grow and contribute to their communities. We view the education of future generations and human capital as one of Lebanon’s most precious wealth, which should be protected”

Alice Thomann, Deputy Head of Swiss Cooperation in Lebanon said: “Summer schools are proving to be of great support for children to keep up with their education despite all difficulties. We are glad that the 2023 edition was able to benefit more children than last year thanks to the collective and coordinated effort of all partners”.

"The right of children is to be in school and learn because education is the only way for a brighter future for the children and the country,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon. “Schools should never be closed, and the children of Lebanon cannot afford further disruptions to their learning due to school closures risking a whole generation falling behind. With the international community, we remain committed to the education sector to ensure that all children in Lebanon have access to education.”

The program provided cash assistance to help children with transportation costs, school supplies and learning materials for students and teachers. It also supported the operational cost of the schools, children’s insurance, and financial support for teachers and administrative staff to enable participation.