Exceptional School Year: South Lebanon Families Weigh Options Amid War Fears

In southern Lebanon, the approaching school year is overshadowed by pervasive fear, forcing families to make difficult choices about their children's education amidst escalating regional tensions.

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I enrolled my children, but I still haven’t bought their books. Every day I look at the book lists and wonder: Should I wait, or pay for them and have the same thing happen as in the past two years? I’ll wait until mid-September before deciding.

With September looming, parents are hesitant to commit to school enrollments. The past two years of conflict have instilled deep uncertainty, leading to displacement, disrupted schooling, and a shift to remote learning. This upheaval has prompted a range of decisions: some families are enrolling children in schools within their displacement areas, while others are opting for more affordable public schools as a safeguard against potential closures. A significant concern for many is the prospect of repeating the experience of remote learning, which they deem less beneficial than in-person instruction.

Schools themselves are grappling with this uncertainty, extending registration periods into the first two weeks of September. Parents like Abeer, a mother of three, are delaying purchases of school books, waiting until mid-September to finalize their decisions. "Every day I look at the book lists and wonder: Should I wait, or pay for them and have the same thing happen as in the past two years?" she expressed.

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My son is in first grade. I enrolled him in the public school near us in the village. That way, if anything happens, I can pick him up quickly and flee at any moment.

For others, safety dictates proximity. Maryam, whose son is in first grade, chose a local public school. "That way, if anything happens, I can pick him up quickly and flee at any moment," she stated. Families displaced from border areas are seeking schools in their new locations, while others are actively searching for institutions in safer regions that maintained in-person classes during previous conflicts. The desire for consistent, in-person education remains a primary condition for many parents seeking stability for their children.

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We decided to stay in the area where we were displaced. So I looked for a school that did not close during the war and enrolled my children there. I don’t believe remote learning is as beneficial as in-person education. There is also the severe psychological strain that war places on my children and on us adults alike. So I believe in-person learning is better as long as it remains possible.