Parents' Union Urges Education Minister to Postpone Official Exams Amid Lebanon's Security Crisis

Mounting pressure from parents continues to build against the government's decision to proceed with official examinations as Lebanon grapples with an unprecedented security and humanitarian crisis. The growing chorus of objections reflects deep concerns about the psychological and social toll on thousands of students attempting to prepare for crucial academic assessments amid pervasive anxiety and instability.

Lama Al-Taweel, president of the Union of Parents' Committees in Private Schools, has issued an urgent appeal to Education and Higher Education Minister Rima Karami, urging a shift in approach centered on student welfare and mental health. Speaking to media outlets, Al-Taweel called for the minister to engage with students "with love, compassion, and a mother's protective heart," moving away from policies that compound their already substantial psychological burden.

Al-Taweel emphasized that Lebanese students are currently experiencing severe anxiety about their lives and futures, a state that fundamentally undermines their capacity to focus on their studies. She pointed to the dual pressures of ongoing threats to personal safety and the relentless media coverage of military developments as primary factors eroding students' concentration. She argued that administering official examinations under such psychologically, economically, and security-compromised conditions cannot produce fair outcomes for the vast majority of the student population.

The parents' union has been engaged in advocacy efforts since the escalation of conflict began, working within logistical constraints to support educational continuity. As security deteriorated and psychological stress intensified, the organization began requesting postponement of the official examinations to ensure equitable treatment across all students.

Al-Taweel disclosed that the union attempted to escalate parental concerns through the parliamentary education committee after the ministry excluded parents from relevant meetings and discussions. The union also demanded explicit security guarantees should examinations proceed, but determined that providing such assurances had become practically impossible under current circumstances.

The parents' organization has proposed adopting school-based grades in place of official examinations, expressing confidence in the academic standards maintained by private institutions. Al-Taweel suggested that the ministry's insistence on holding formal exams despite these conditions indicates a lack of trust in educational institutions themselves—a position she views as contradictory and unjustified.

Al-Taweel criticized what she characterized as misleading public messaging suggesting that Lebanese students are functioning normally and prepared for examinations. She contended that this narrative bears no relation to lived reality, highlighting a stark disconnect between official statements and the actual conditions experienced by students and families. She described this as evidence of leadership disconnected from ground-level realities.

In her closing remarks, Al-Taweel called on the Prime Minister to intervene and halt what she termed a misguided policy. She warned that the consequences extend beyond students and families to encompass the state's credibility and the standing of the Prime Minister's office, should the government persist in disregarding the exceptional circumstances Lebanon currently faces.