Lebanon faces education “emergency”: UN

Lebanon is grappling with an education “emergency,” a United Nations official said, as years of economic collapse weigh heavily on students and teachers.

Students and teachers now have brand new classrooms but they are still suffering from the twin effects of an unprecedented economic crisis in Lebanon and the coronavirus pandemic.

Since late 2019, the Lebanese pound has lost over 90 percent of its value, pushing most of the population into poverty.

Enrolment in educational institutions slumped from 60 percent last year to 43 percent in the current academic year, a UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report found.

The cash-strapped state has been unable to enact substantial reforms, a requirement to access billions of dollars from international lenders.