Bou Saab: Exam Correction Not Possible without SCC Approval

Minister of Education Elias Bou Saab on Monday took a stand with the Syndicate Coordination Committee, calling for the adoption of the new wage scale to pave the way for the correction of official exams.

“It has become a necessity to adopt the new wage scale because we have agreed on finishing the school year and holding the (official) exams,” Bou Saab said at a press conference after meeting with a SCC delegation at the Ministry.

He expressed that holding the exams was a “victory for teachers, the SCC, students and the Ministry.”

A settlement was reached last week between the Education Minister and a delegation of private and public school teachers after several hours of strenuous negotiations, and which assured holding the official exams and postponing them from Thursday to Friday.

The agreement stipulated that teachers would monitor the examination process, however, it did not include any accord over the correction of exam papers as the minister gave teachers the right to boycott this task if the new wage scale was not adopted.

Bou Saab went on to say that “it is not possible to correct exams in any way without the SCC's approval.”

He added: “If the SCC decides to boycott the correction of exams, I am standing by its side and any correction attempt will be a failure.”

"Today we stand united with teachers, and we hope an agreement would be reached with concerned parties to adopt the new wage scale.”

“The Minister of Finance assured that his ministry is ready to provide us with all information we need concerning financing the new wage scale,” the Minister said.

He also said former Premier Fouad Saniora expressed that it would be “unfair after everything that has happened not to issue the new wage scale.”

But according to Bou Saab, Saniora noted that the new wage scale must be just and with acceptable costs for which it would be possible to find revenues.

The Education Minister continued: “PM (Tammam) Salam reassured us on the work of the cabinet, and an agreement was reached between him and (Foreign Minister Jebran) Bassil. We see some positive signs. (Salam) also assured me that the issue of the deans' council will be discussed in the cabinet's upcoming session.”

Meanwhile, SCC head Hanna Gharib revealed that the Committee submitted a memo to Bou Saab which stresses their demand of a new wage scale that assures their rights.

He explained: “You are hearing reports about dividing and decreasing the wage hike, but we are holding onto the new wage scale draft without division and without discrimination between sectors, along with giving everyone the same raise.”

Gharib also stressed that taxes should not be imposed on the poor sections of society, underscoring the talked about possible VAT increase in particular.

He called on all MPs to be present at the parliament and vote in favor of the SCC's rights.

“We are holding onto our stance and we will not take part in the correction of exams before the new wage scale's adoption,” Gharib confirmed.

S.D.B.

Y.R.