Bou Saab to Issue Passing Statements to Students awaiting Official Exam Results

Education Minister Elias Bou Saab revealed on Wednesday that he will resort to issuing passing statements for Grade 12 and Grade 9 students who applied for official exams to allow them to continue with their academic plans amid differences with the Syndicate Coordination Committee.

“I took the decision to issue passing statements to all students who applied for official exams,” Bou Saab said at a press conference he held at the ministry on Wednesday afternoon, adding that he will communicate his decision with the council of ministers.

“I admit that I was wrong when I said I will not distribute certificates and I bear the responsibility of my mistake,” he noted.

But the minister noted that he will freeze the implementation of the decision for 48 hours awaiting new talks with the SCC.

Bou Saab stressed that he is at the forefront of those demanding that their rights be met, assuring that he will not change his stance despite the decision he had taken.

He then called on the the professors of the SCC to “think about the current situation in Lebanon.”

Earlier in the day, Bou Saab announced that he will take a decision that would salvage Grade 12 students before the end of the week, urging the SCC to act responsibly.

“The decision will include granting students passing statements according to their school grades,” Bou Saab told An Nahar newspaper published on Wednesday.

He called on teachers affiliated to the SCC to prioritize the interests of students.

“Any irresponsible decision taken by the SCC will not be given my support... Even if we have different points of view, priority remains for students.”

The SCC’s suspension of the exams correction had left Grade 12 students in disarray as they are awaiting the results to enroll in university while Grade 9 students, who underwent the Brevet exams, need to pass their tests in order to enter the secondary school.

Bou Saab pointed out that the new pay hike for public employees comes in the second place.

He previously warned the SCC from holding onto a decision to boycott the correction of the exams, saying that he will adopt the students' school grades to replace the official grades and will approve them.

“The recent political and security developments don't indicate that the new wage scale will be endorsed anytime soon,” the minister told the daily.

Bou Saab warned the SCC that he “is compelled to take his decision before the end of the week to safeguard the interests of students and enable them to enroll in universities.”

He described “any escalatory stance by the SCC as suicidal.”

Bou Saab reiterated the “righteous demands of the SCC,” considering that the situation can not go on as it is.

Later on Wednesday, the SCC called on the Education Minister not to adopt any “non-academic decision whose negative consequences will have lasting results on education.”

"The (minister's) decision will be very catastrophic... and we urge the minister to exert utmost efforts with parliamentary blocs to head to the parliament and adopt the new wage scale,” the SCC said in a released statement.

It remarked that adopting the new wage scale “is the shortest way to give students their certificates because the SCC is not considering to withdraw its decision of boycotting the correction of official exams.”

Asking the SCC to correct exams is equal to asking it to draw an end to its efforts, and to its national and syndicate role, the statement pointed out, holding those obstructing the new wage scale's adoption responsible for the exam correction boycott.

"We demand parliamentary blocs to demonstrate their support for the army by holding a session at the parliament and adopting the new wage scale without any stalling or delay,” it said.

Parliamentary blocs have continuously expressed their support for the employees' rights, but have warned that Lebanon's ailing economy would suffer if the total funding was not reduced from LL2.8 trillion ($1.9 billion) to LL1.8 trillion ($1.2 billion).

They have also disagreed on how to raise taxes to fund the scale over fears of inflation and its affect on the poor.

Their differences have been exacerbated by the boycott of the March 14 alliance's MPs of the sessions aimed at discussing the draft-law under the excuse that parliament should not legislate in the absence of a president.

H.K./ S.D.B.

G.K./ M.T.