Lebanon: Saints-Coeurs, a school of hope and reconciliation beyond war
Five kilometres from the border with Israel, the institute founded under the Ottoman Empire in 1881 for Christian girls is fighting for survival. Fr Youssef Nasr: Catholic schools welcome around 190,000 students, 20% of the total and 30% of private schools. Non-Christians account for 30%, although in some areas the figure exceeds 60%. The economic challenge for survival and post-war ethnic tensions.
Beirut (AsiaNews) - As every year, shortly before the start of the school year, which officially begins on 23 September, the secretariat of Catholic schools chaired by Fr. Youssef Nasr organised a conference during which he highlighted the challenges of Catholic education in Lebanon.
And, by extension, of private education as a whole. This year's theme was: ‘How to ensure a more humanising education for students in the age of digital technology and artificial intelligence?’ Present at the conference, Lebanese Education Minister Rima Karamé noted that ‘after accumulating repeated crises over the past six years,’ the country of cedars ‘is still in survival mode.’
Providing students with an adequate education and guiding them through digital and artificial intelligence requires ‘huge financial investments’ to envisage ‘a total reorganisation of the education system (including public schools)’, said the minister. At the same time, she addressed private schools, inviting them to collaborate with the ministry to launch the project.
According to the latest available data, out of more than 1.1 million students in Lebanon, about 43% attend public schools, while the rest are enrolled in private schools that charge fees (also 43%) and free schools (11%), not counting a percentage of boys and girls who attend UNRWA schools.
As for Catholic institutions, they ‘welcome a total of 190,000 students, equal to 20% of the total number of Lebanese and 30% of private school students,’ reveals Fr. Youssef Nasr. The percentage of non-Christians attending Catholic schools is about 30%, but this is only an average, he points out. In some regions, this percentage can exceed 60%.
Far from the centre
Far from the centre and this thoughtful approach, 5 kilometres from the border with Israel, L'école des Saint-Coeurs, founded under the Ottoman Empire in 1881 for Christian girls in the region, is struggling to survive.
Under normal conditions, the school had more than a thousand male and female pupils, 50% of whom were Muslims, mostly Shiites. The latter came from 32 different villages, from Naqoura to Marjeyoun. Some travelled about an hour to get to school.
‘What they are looking for from us,’ Sister Maya Beaino, director of the institute, tells AsiaNews, overwhelmed by visits from parents in the week leading up to the start of the school year, ‘is openness, respect for all without distinction of culture, religion or race.’ At the same time, there is also the not insignificant factor of having access to ‘the best possible level of education.’
L'école des Saint-Coeurs was by far the largest employer in Aïn Ebel, with 65 teachers. This number has been reduced based on the overall enrolment figures. In fact, due to the war, the number of students seems to have halved this year, despite the turnout.
The Israeli army has reduced a series of 27 border villages located within a 5 km wide strip to rubble, prohibiting anyone from approaching or undertaking repair work. The inhabitants of this village, where reconstruction is prohibited, have moved elsewhere and, judging by the way the situation is evolving, will not be returning any time soon.
‘If the school closes,’ Sister Maya points out, ‘it's clear that the teachers will leave, followed by all their families and those of the students. That's why, during the war and under bombardment, we didn't leave the village or close the school.’
‘When the war broke out,’ the nun continues, ‘and our students moved north, we immediately activated lessons on interactive platforms such as Team. The lessons were online, but the exams were held in person. We went periodically to meet our students in some schools in the regions where they had taken refuge, to ensure authentic grades.’
Wounds to heal
‘During the worst period of the conflict, six of our students were killed,’ Sister Maya says sadly, adding: "Most of our Shiite students lost between 10 and 15 members of their families. Fifty per cent of our Shiite students no longer have a home, land, anything... and cannot return to their villages. Many Christian students have seen their homes damaged. The wounds are numerous and must be healed."
This is particularly the case in the Christian village of Alma Chaab, which was completely destroyed and whose inhabitants have not returned.
After the ceasefire in November 2024, when we returned to school, there was a lot of tension between Christians and Shiites, Sister Maya continues. Everyone was blaming each other for something. Anti-Shiite slogans had even appeared on some of the school walls. So I brought them together and, with the help of NGOs, psychologists and social workers, we created spaces where they could release their emotions and reflect.
Two movements participated in these initiatives: the Fratelli Tutti group, made up of young Christians and Muslims from secondary schools, and the ‘Living Peace’ group, linked to the Focolare Movement, which committed to praying for peace every day at 12 noon.
Uncertain future
The future is problematic, the nun admits, and the economic and financial challenge is among the priorities, after that of security. The fact is that war sometimes makes it dangerous to travel on the roads, and some people drop out of school for this reason.
From a financial point of view, how can border educational institutions be helped to survive, knowing full well that these schools are the only guarantee that the population will not leave? The financial challenge obviously also includes teachers' salaries. Without decent pay, even teachers will be tempted to leave.
The secretary general of Catholic schools is aware of this need. He acknowledges that, since 2019, teachers in the private and public sectors have seen their salaries melt away like snow in the sun, as the salary adjustments granted by private school administrators, or obtained through strikes, are insufficient to bring them back to pre-crisis levels.
However, he believes that the resolution of this issue, which is essential for the future, cannot be at the expense of parents... or teachers themselves.
Finally, he points out that the most substantial aid received in this regard comes from l'Œuvre d'Orient and Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Sister Maya, for her part, dreams of a twinning with European schools ‘not so much or not only for the financial aid, which we certainly need, but above all for the exchange on a human level’. ‘I dream that there will be young people,’ concludes the nun, looking to the future, ‘who come from Italy and Europe to live with our young people, to share our experience, to nourish themselves with hope’.
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