The war has left everyone involved in the education sector confused and disoriented, a confusion that is almost turning into conflict among stakeholders.

Some schools have closed and switched to remote learning. Others have shut down completely, and their teachers have been dispersed. A third group has continued with in person teaching, which has created inequality among students.

Some students do not have internet access at home and cannot afford mobile phone bills. At the same time, more privileged families have sent their children to European countries to protect them from psychological stress and an atmosphere of fear.

Parents are also deeply confused, caught between scattered thoughts, financial difficulties, and schools demanding tuition fees so they can pay teachers and staff. Some refuse to pay, while others accuse schools of greed. Parents fear the risks of traveling on the roads and often lack solutions for caring for their children at home while they have to go to work.

The Ministry of Education is under pressure to either hold official exams, cancel them, or postpone them indefinitely. It is being subjected to pressures pulling in different directions, including concerns about the lack of fairness in opportunities due to the war. The Minister of Education is being targeted with verbal attacks, while she is not able to bear the burden of the war alone.

The difficult reality requires a working group, a plan, and a strategy to confront the new circumstances. All stakeholders are in a state of confusion. Everyone is facing security risks, deteriorating mental health, and already complex economic conditions.

There is a need for a special educational strategy for wartime (because the state of war in Lebanon is ongoing), which comes alongside the need for many other strategies in different areas, most notably the well-known defense strategy that has not been achieved for known unknown reasons.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Annahar.