Bou Saab Pledges Strict Measures against Beatings at School

Education Minister Elias Bou Saab condemned on Wednesday the school beating incident that was reported on Tuesday, saying that such actions are forbidden at schools.

He said during a press conference: “We will take the harshest punishments against anyone beating a student.”

“All forms of beatings and violence are forbidden and we will strive to put an end to this phenomena,” he declared.

He revealed that he will task the central inspection bureau to follow up on school violence at schools throughout the country.

Bou Saab added that any beating should be reported to the Education General Directorate on the hotline: 01 772 101 or by directly contacting his office.

A video of a school headmaster assaulting students at a school in southern Lebanon went viral on the internet on Tuesday.

The video showed the principal, M. D., brutally foot whipping one terrified student after another, while they cried and begged him to stop.

The school, which belongs to the al-Maqassed Philanthropic Islamic Association, is located in the Sarafand town in southern Lebanon.

The school decided to close on Wednesday, in condemnation of the attack on students.

In October 2013, a teacher in the northern city of Tripoli asked students to beat up a classmate in a brutal way with the aim of “disciplining” him.