Lebanon’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE), in collaboration with UNICEF and the European Union, launched the Transition Resilience Fund (TRF) on Wednesday to aid the country’s education sector.
The fund is to be utilized to improve the quality and learning outcomes of education, as well as provide an approach for information exchange and data collection from schools to regional and central levels.
Approximately 12,000 teachers and over 1,200 public schools are expected to benefit from the fund.
“With the launch of the TREF, we effectively contribute to ensuring an efficient and transparent use of funds in the Lebanese education system, which, in turn, will ensure that the most vulnerable children have access to safe, inclusive, and quality learning,” said Rein Nieland, Head of Cooperation of the EU delegation.
According to UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Najat Rochdi, more than 135,000 children in Lebanon lack access to education due to the country’s economic crisis.
“Schools provide a safe refuge; they are vital to improve the health and mental wellbeing of children. However, schools are struggling today to provide inclusive and quality learning opportunities for an increasing number of vulnerable children – many of whom are out of school,” said UNICEF Representative Edouard Beigbeder.