Teachers divided as strike leaves Lebanon’s classrooms empty – The National

Teachers divided as strike leaves Lebanon’s classrooms empty – The National

With sun streaming into the rooms and a fresh breeze wafting in from the nearby sea, the small public school of Rmeileh, a 40-minute drive south of Beirut, is filled with children’s chatter.

This week, starting January 10, should be the first back to school after a three-week Christmas break but Rmeileh School is one of less than a handful across Lebanon that opened its doors, hindering hundreds of thousands of children’s education.

Of 185 schools in the Mount Lebanon district, only three are opening this week, Teachers Union branch vice president Manal Hdaife said.