Lebanon's embattled public schools to stay shut until November

September start date was delayed amid Israel's intensive bombardment of the country

A woman walks with her child in the corridor of a school housing families displaced from the south of Lebanon. AFP

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Lebanon's embattled public schools are set to reopen on November 4 after the original start date in September was delayed amid intense Israeli bombardment of the country, the Minister of Education, Abbas Halabi, has confirmed.

The decision on whether or not individual schools open their doors will depend on their location and whether they have the capacity to do so, a separate well-placed source who is aware of the plan, told The National. It it is unclear yet which public schools will be able to welcome students back, the source added, with more than 40 per cent – around 600 – serving as shelters for the 1.2 million people who have fled Israel's attacks.

“The education plan we have put in place needs more time for implementation,” Mr Halabi said.

The UN children’s fund (Unicef) estimates that more than 400,000 children have been displaced from their homes. There will be no formal schooling in shelters and those displaced, including students and teachers, will automatically be enrolled in nearby schools, the minister said.

Private schools and universities will open at their own discretion and it will be up to them to decide whether they use online learning or teach in-person, said Mr Halabi. “The situation is complicated and [the ministry] cannot bear the brunt alone."

Lebanon's Ministry of Education will partner with private institutions so that some children who were enrolled in public schools can attend there.

Lebanon's health ministry says at least 127 children have been killed since the onset of hostilities a year ago. More than 100 of those deaths have been in the last two weeks, and around 700 children have been injured in the same period.

“The most common injuries reportedly recorded among children include concussions and traumatic brain injuries from the impact of blasts, shrapnel wounds and limb injuries. Hearing loss caused by explosions is also common,” the Unicef said.

The current uncertainty and chaos in the education system in Lebanon is mirroring a similar schooling crisis in Gaza, where children have lost an academic year amid Israel's brutal bombardment there. Some 80 per cent of schools in Gaza have been destroyed and remaining classrooms have been converted into shelters.