Private School Tuition Increases Remain a Crisis Despite Freeze Measures

Lebanon's ongoing dispute over tuition fees at private schools continues to escalate despite judicial interventions and administrative freezes. While several educational institutions have implemented temporary halts on fee increases following complaints from parents, observers warn that these measures address only the symptom of a deeper systemic problem.

Lama Al-Taweel, head of the Union of Parent Committees in Private Schools, outlined the core challenges facing families in an interview. She noted that although parent committees have successfully obtained court rulings in multiple schools, enforcement remains inconsistent. "The main problem lies in the lack of commitment by school administrations to implement these decisions," Al-Taweel explained. "Some administrations resort to putting pressure on parents and threatening them not to register their children for the next academic year in the event of non-payment."

She cited recent examples of such pressure tactics at Catholic schools, illustrating how institutions use enrollment threats to compel payment compliance.

Al-Taweel emphasized that a genuine resolution requires more than temporary freezes. "The solution is not just to freeze the increases, but rather through clear decisions requiring them to be stopped permanently, in addition to seeking the assistance of accounting audit experts to determine the actual value of the installments in a scientific and transparent manner."

A critical gap in the current approach, according to Al-Taweel, is the Ministry of Education's absence from financial oversight. "The reality on the ground has not really changed, especially since the Ministry of Education is still absent from the financial audit file, setting tuition fees, and reviewing school budgets," she stated.

The situation appears particularly unjust in regions experiencing economic contraction. Schools located in areas that have witnessed closures or reduced activity—and consequently lower operating costs—have nonetheless demanded fee increases from families. "Families were asked to pay increases that were announced for this year, without the ministry taking any deterrent measures," Al-Taweel observed. She contrasted this with the approach taken during the pandemic under former Minister Tariq Al-Majzoub, when schools were required to reduce tuition fees in response to changed circumstances.

Looking ahead to the next academic year, Al-Taweel warned of a troubling pattern. "Some schools have actually begun threatening random increases before the official budgets are approved or the parent committees approve, which constitutes a clear violation of the applicable laws," she said. The fundamental issue, she stressed, remains systemic: "The problem remains in the absence of oversight, transparency and accountability."

Al-Taweel concluded that without state intervention, the situation will likely worsen. "The continuation of this approach puts families in direct confrontation with school administrations, in light of the absence of the state's role in controlling this sensitive issue."