A school in Lebanon has received an unexpected document as justification for some students’ absence.
A post that has been circulating social media in Lebanon shows a letter addressed to a school in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, regarding the absence of students on the first day of post-lockdown school on Monday.
The letter is written on a paper that belongs to a gas station in the area — not a doctor’s report or another typical justification document.
“To whom it may concern: Dear principal of the National Evangelical School in Nabatieh, Mr. Shady Al-Hajjar, due to the lack of gasoline at gas stations, I apologize for not driving my children to school because of the lack of gasoline in my car, and this is a report from the [gas] station. Thank you,” the letter reads.
The document is signed by the parent and bears the name of the gas station, Sabbouri Station, and its phone number.
This incident comes as students who will partake in official exams this year return to a mixed learning program — partly online classes and partly in-person classes.
Apart from fears that it would cause coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to soar again and threaten the safety of students, the return to school comes at a time when the Lebanese are struggling to refuel their cars amid severe rationing imposed by gas stations across the country.
Last week, an angry teacher in Tripoli filmed her wait in a long line of cars waiting for their turn to refuel at a gas station, all while she was giving an online class in her car.
On Sunday, a student of the Lebanese University (LU) was shot dead at a gas station, owned by his father, over the filling of petrol.