No space or funds for refugee students in Lebanese schools: minister

BEIRUT: Lebanese public schools are unable to accommodate the number of refugee students seeking enrollment this year, giving priority to the Lebanese, Education Minister Elias Bou Saab said, adding that he had drafted a plan to accommodate 100,000 refugees.

“We allowed Lebanese parents to enroll their children in schools first to prevent problems and to preserve Lebanese people's rights in securing a seat for their children,” Bou Saab told An-Nahar, referring to a decree he issued in August restricting registration to Lebanese students for a certain period.

“There are 400,000 refugee students seeking school enrollment. If we had allowed them to register with the Lebanese, almost half of Lebanese students would be left out of school.”

He said the ministry had extended the deadline for Lebanese students to enroll to the end of this week.

“The number of Lebanese students in public schools, according to last year’s numbers, is 275,000 while the number of refugee students is 400,000. Our schools can only accommodate 300,000 students in total.”

Despite measures to open new schools and extend school hours to accommodate refugees from Syria, Iraq and Palestine, Bou Saab said schools were only able to enroll 100,000 non-Lebanese students, which cost the state $200 million.

"I will allow refugee students to enroll in schools as soon as Lebanese students' registration period ends,” he said, adding that the government could not pay the annual tuition of additional refugee students.

"Each refugee student costs the government over $1,500 [annually], and we paid between $150-$200 million for 100,000 refugee students last year," he said.

Bou Saab said it would cost the government some $600 million to cover the next three years for refugee students.

Bou Saab spoke of a plan approved by the Cabinet to garner international funds to help cover the cost of refugee students.

“There is an approved plan the ministry had prepared estimated to cost $200 million for an additional 100,000 refugee students to be funded by international organizations. ... Half of the needed amount was secured.”