Students struggle as Lebanon crisis cripples the sector

Students struggle as Lebanon crisis cripples the sector

BEIRUT: Power shortages and soaring petrol prices mean many Lebanese university students can neither afford to reach their classes nor study from home, a conundrum that is ravaging a generation’s future. Agnes, a 22-year-old dentistry student from south Lebanon, is among the few still plodding to class in Beirut four days a week.

The five hours she spends on a bus daily now costs her 1.3 million Lebanese pounds a month-“that’s half of my father’s salary”, she said. Such expenses are now beyond the reach of most Lebanese students, with their country in the throes of a financial, political and health crisis that has ravaged its economy. The national currency has lost more than 95 percent of its value on the black market, and the minimum wage of 675,000 pounds is worth little more than $20, which barely pays for a full tank of petrol.

Transport “is becoming more expensive than my semester’s tuition fees”, said Tarek, a 25-year-old student at the Islamic University of Lebanon who, like the others interviewed, declined to give a family name. As a result, and also because teachers face similar difficulties, many universities continue to offer online classes. But staying connected during state power cuts that