Bou Saab Going Forward with Passing Statements, Calls for Correcting Exams as of Tuesday

W300

Education Minister Elias Bou Saab announced on Friday that he is going forward with issuing passing statements for Grade 12 and Grade 9 school students who have applied for official exams, calling on teachers and the Syndicate Coordination Committee to end their boycott of exam correction.

“I decided to issue passing statements for all students who applied for official exams. We will start printing the statements to give them to students as of next week,” Bou Saab declared at a press conference he held at the ministry of education.

"But at the same time, and based on the recommendation of political parties, I decided to take another decision,” he added.

Bou Saab revealed that he will call on the committees to start correcting exams as of next week and noted that he believes the SCC would approve to end the correction boycott.

He explained his decision: “The cabinet took a decision to wait for 24 hours and I was tasked with rescuing the academic year. Issuing passing statements is a negative decision, but we were forced to take it.”

“I am working on securing the national interest, not any individual or any party's interest,” he stressed.

The Education Minister said he has resorted to this decision after listening the parents' concerns and after holding talks with different political parties in the country.

“Everyone knows that I have not left anyone out of the negotiations over the new wage scale and I thank all parties of the March 14 and March 8 coalitions” for their cooperation, Bou Saab said.

He continued: “All political parties are against issuing passing statements and support the SCC. Everyone has asked me to negotiate with the SCC.”

“The only solution for the impasse is the adoption of the new wage scale and for teachers to secure their rights,” he reiterated.

S.D.B.

SourceNaharnet