Teachers Union To End Exam Correction Boycott as Edu. Min. Says Passing Statements 'Went into Effect'

The syndicate of private schools teachers announced on Monday that it is withdrawing its decision to boycott official exam correction, but assured that it will continue rallying to demand the adoption of the contentious new wage scale.

But the Ministry of Education said the decision to issue passing statements to all students who applied for official exams has "went into effect."

The union announced in a statement published by the state-run National News Agency that after a broad meeting of the general assemblies dedicated for discussing the board of executives' stance regarding the new wage scale, teachers will withdraw their decision of boycott exam correction.

"After discussion, the general assemblies voted in favor of continuing protests and escalation until the adoption of the new wage scale to preserve rights, and to withdraw the correction boycott decision as they are keen on preserving the standards of official exams and education in Lebanon,” the statement declared.

"The parliament is stalling in the new wage scale matter and there are no serious indications that it will get adopted, despite some promises made by parliamentary bloc heads and party leaders, and despite promises that claimed no passing statements will be granted to students,” the union said in its statement.

But later in the evening, head of the syndicate of private schools teachers Nehmeh Mahfoud assured that the union is committed to the Syndicate Coordination Committee's decision.

"The the syndicate of private schools teachers is part of the SCC and if the Committee took a decision to continue boycotting exam correction we'll abide by it," he told LBCI television.

"And we will not announce a stance before the SCC's meeting because the Committee's unity is a red line and we are all against issuing passing statements to students," he told al-Manar television.

The teachers' syndicate deplored in its statement Education Minister Elias Bou Saab's “non-academic” decision to issue passing statements to all students who applied for official exams.

"This decision treats students who passed and those who failed evenly and harms official exams,” it explained.

And SCC head Hanna Gharib considered issuing passing statements a "non-academic procedure."

"This is rejected and it must stop," he told LBCI.

However, Bou Saab announced that he is going forward with the statements.

"I am not concerned with what the SCC does and what I said Saturday were my final words on the passing statements," he told the same TV network.

"Passing statements are now a forgone conclusion," he stated.

Bou Saab had announced on Saturday that he will resort to issuing passing statements to all students who applied for official exams to allow them to enroll in universities or continue their education amid the Syndicate Coordination Committee's insistence on boycotting official exam correction until the adoption of the new wage scale.

S.D.B.

M.T.