March 28, 2022 – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati sponsored today a ceremony organized by the UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut and the Ministry of National Education and Higher Education, at the Mufti Martyr Hassan Khaled High School (Hawd al-Wilaya School), on the occasion of UNESCO's completion of the rehabilitation of 280 schools in Beirut, that were all damaged during the port blasts.
The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister and his wife May Mikati, Ministers Abbas Al-Halabi, Najla Riachi and Ziad Al-Makari, MP Bahia Hariri, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations in Lebanon Najat Rochdi, a number of ambassadors, UNESCO ADG for Education Stefania Giannini, as well as educational, social and academic figures.
Speaking at the ceremony, Stefania Giannini said: "I am honored to be with you today, students, professors, parents and educational staff. I thank the donors for their quick response, and I thank especially the Qatar Fund for Development, the Swiss government, "Education Above All", "Education Cannot Wait" and all our partners. The reopening of schools after their rehabilitation is only the beginning, as education has suffered during the past two years as a result of the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, and the simultaneous crises that caused great losses in the education and health sectors, and affected students as well as teachers.” She added: "We urgently need a social contract for the education sector in Lebanon based on three basic principles: integration, flexibility and development."
In his speech, Minister Al-Halabi said: "If we lose all abilities in our country and save education, our educated human resources will be able to restore our capabilities and revive life in our beloved homeland. We have fought with you and by your side many challenges to secure incentives for teachers to resume teaching, and we still have many challenges to face in order to succeed in saving the university year, prepare for the official exams and the next academic year.”
He added: "UNESCO has thankfully coordinated the aid allocated to rebuild schools, educational, professional and university institutions damaged by the Beirut port blasts. The Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Audrey Azoulay and ADG Ms. Giannini came to Beirut, and launched the LiBeirut initiative, after which started the rehabilitation of many educational institutions. Life has been brought back to schools, and I was amazed when I inspected some of the institutions that became better than they were in the past, and are equipped with modern technology equipment, laboratories and playgrounds, to embrace our students, and provide an equal opportunity for all to access education, without any kind of discrimination. We are still committed to ensuring education for all children residing in Lebanon, including Lebanese, displaced and refugees, in cooperation with countries and donors”.
He continued: "The High School of Mufti Martyr Hassan Khaled, which brings us together today and is known as the Hawd Al-Wilaya School, is an ancient architectural masterpiece that was an Ottoman military school. It was restored to its former glory under the supervision of UNESCO experts and within the standards and conditions that take into account its beautiful architecture and its effectiveness in performing its educational and cultural role. Today, as we celebrate the completion of the rehabilitation of all educational institutions, with the Ministry, UNESCO and the donors, we are also launching cultural activities that make this institution an ever-shining station in the heart of Beirut, which was destroyed by the vicious explosion. Your presence with us today is nothing but a confirmation of our determination to return to life and overcome our pain, our sorrow, and our poverty.” He concluded: "We are a few days away from launching the national framework for the development of public pre-university education curricula at the Educational Center for Research and Development, with a general national consensus, and with technical support from UNESCO."
From his side, PM Mikati said: "We meet once again today at the invitation of the Minister of Education and UNESCO to celebrate the completion of the rehabilitation of Beirut's schools, including the school we are in today, after it was destroyed by the explosion of the port of Beirut. We thank UNESCO and the supporting countries for standing by Lebanon, and for their constant belief in the mission of this country as a civilized, cultural and educational beacon. After the Beirut blast, the real concern was about how to rebuild this number of schools that were partially or completely damaged. UNESCO launched LiBeirut in cooperation with the Ministry, to assess the damage and rehabilitate the buildings, especially those that carry historical symbolism and a rich cultural heritage.”
He added: "The Hawd al-Wilaya School, which is considered one of the first free schools in Lebanon and the region, has witnessed since its establishment in 1888 as a military school until it was converted into a free public school, many wars in Lebanon and the world. It remained steadfast to write in golden letters chapters of the history of education in Lebanon. If there is hope for Lebanon to rise again after every setback and ordeal, it is thanks to the Lebanese people’s faith in science and Lebanon’s educational message. In this context, I know the despair in your minds about our reality, and these many crises that impacted all sectors in Lebanon, but it is certain that what we are witnessing is not new to us.”
He said: "This is not the appropriate time for political, sectarian rivalries and accusations, or building on bets that will only bring more trouble to our country. What is required of us today more than ever is solidarity with all our strength to avoid the repercussions of the storms around us as much as possible, and save our homeland from what is afflicting it. There is nothing better than dialogue, convergence and cooperation as a means to achieve this goal. Most of us were raised and educated in mixed schools, and it is not necessary for everyone to share my opinion, but at least we can talk and understand together to reach what serves the good of this country. Greetings from this place to the spirit of His Eminence, the martyr Mufti Hassan Khaled, whose name this high school bears and who, in word and deed, embodied the spirit of national belonging and the human and patriotic values that this country represents. With God's permission, Lebanon will rise again".
After a tour around the school, a concert was performed by the Arabic Ensemble of the Zaki Nassif Music program at the American University of Beirut, conducted by Maestro Fadi Yaacoub.
Li Beirut is an international flagship initiative launched from Beirut by the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, in the aftermath of the explosions, on August 27, 2020, to support the rehabilitation of schools, historic heritage buildings, museums, galleries and the creative industry, all of which suffered significant damage in the deadly explosions.
