Salam: “Education First, Children First. We Will Not Fail Them.”

09 September 2025, Beirut – Marking the third anniversary of the Transition and Resilience Education Fund (TREF), and under the patronage of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) convened its second High-Level Strategic Management Board meeting.

The gathering reaffirmed Lebanon’s unwavering commitment to education and sought to mobilize the technical, financial, and political support needed to safeguard and strengthen the public education system, including for Out of School Children, through the current crises and into the future.

Established in 2022 in partnership with the European Union, Germany through the German Development Bank KfW and recently France through the Agence Française de Développement (AfD), Switzerland, UK, Netherlands, Italy, Finland, Norway, and implemented by UNICEF, TREF is an aid modality that focuses on delivering quality and inclusive education for all children, and supports reforms aligned to MEHE’s Strategic Vision 2025-2030.

The Lebanese Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam said: “Lebanon’s children face the gravest of challenges, threatening not only individual futures but the very foundation of our national stability and cohesion. Throughout this difficult period, the Transition and Resilience Education Fund (TREF) has stood as a partner to Lebanon, helping us keep schools open, ensuring teachers could persevere, and allowing children to hold on to the promise of a better tomorrow. For this, we express our gratitude. Without valued teachers and functioning schools, the system cannot fulfil its mission. Lebanon cannot prepare its children for tomorrow with the curricula of yesterday. The responsibility for the right of education lies first with the Lebanese state, and my government is committed to safeguarding it, this is why we have begun to mobilize domestic resources while carrying forward institutional reforms. Our partnership with international community through TREF reinforces it and ensures Lebanon’s public schools remain places of equal opportunity, social stability, and national renewal.”

The Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Rima Karami emphasized the role of TREF in advancing MEHE’s long-term vision: “The ministry is placing the learner and the institutions that support them at the heart of sustainable reform. Together, we are building a resilient education system that safeguards every child’s right to learn. Through TREF, and with the support of UNICEF and our donor partners, we are improving access to education in public schools. Today, the ministry is taking the lead in charting a clear course launching a new National Vision 2030 and moving from crisis management to system development. Every operational step will be aligned with this vision, shifting from fragmentation to national coherence. TREF will be one of the key instruments to translate this commitment into results, with funding, professional development, and school improvement plans all linked to outcomes. Resources will be directed where gaps are widest, and progress is fastest.”

By supporting MEHE’s seven core domains of a quality education system, TREF is reinforcing governance, accountability, and equity, while supporting delivery of pathways for all learners Including the most marginalized and those out of school. It has channeled multi-year support to strengthen Lebanon’s education system and supports reforms to improve teaching and learning, governance and cost-efficiency. This provides strong evidence that the education system is, and will remain, the foundation of Lebanon’s commitment to its children and young people.

“Today, we reaffirm the firm commitment of the international community to supporting Lebanon’s public education system and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education’s Vision for the Education Sector 2025–2030,” emphasized Ms. Sandra De Waele, EU Ambassador to Lebanon, speaking on behalf of the TREF’s main contributing partners. “Every child, without distinction, should access inclusive and quality education. We commend the Ministry of Education and the Lebanese Government for their steadfast efforts to guarantee education for all children across Lebanon. For some children this means making the transition from informal to formal education, and we appreciate the efforts made to facilitate this” she added.

During their interventions, donors also highlighted the critical importance of sustainable domestic financing. They welcomed the Ministry’s success in mobilizing national resources for the 2025/2026 school year, particularly the allocation of funds for school operations, and expressed hope that such contributions will be systematically included in Lebanon’s national budget in the years ahead to support the best environment and quality of learning in schools.

“Education is the most important investment any nation can make in its future. We thank Prime Minister Salam for his strong endorsement and MEHE for its leadership in advancing reforms that place children at the centre of Lebanon’s recovery,” said Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon. “With the unwavering support of our donors, we already delivered many achievements mainly expanding access to learning, protecting the most vulnerable, and strengthening public schools."  

The TREF High Level Strategic Management Board agreed on the overall vision for the partnership during the upcoming School Year 2025/2026. This included a significant focus on collaboration with children, teachers, and schools to improve access to quality and inclusive education, including through a focus on excellence in teaching and learning, learner well-being, partnership with parents and communities, and equitable distribution of resources, all while building the performance of the education system to carry on delivering relevant education for all Lebanon’s children.