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3. Between the Bill and the Blackboard: Lebanon’s Tuition Dilemma

Growing concern surrounds the possibility of tuition fee hikes in private schools across Lebanon, prompting questions from parents and the wider public. Many schools have yet to provide clear answers, leaving families unsure of what to expect in the upcoming academic year.

When contacted, several schools stated that they are still uncertain about the fate of the law No. 2 on the organization of teaching staff in private schools and the management of their budgets. 

This law is currently on hold, as the Constitutional Council annulled it due to procedural violations in its enactment, and it must be formally reissued and republished before it can take legal effect.

Until further clarity is provided, schools say they will wait to assess the financial impact and adjust accordingly as they aim to strike a balance that does not burden parents.

In an interview with This is Beirut, the Secretary General of Catholic Schools, Father Youssef Nasr, addressed the issue by outlining two major factors that could impact tuition fees starting October 2025.

“The first is the cost of implementing Law No. 2, dated April 3, 2025, along with its amendments, which were approved by Parliament on April 24, 2025, and published in the Official Gazette on May 16, 2025,” Father Nasr explained. He emphasized that this law, although not yet fully enacted, will carry financial consequences once officially reissued. Each school will be required to calculate the cost of its implementation individually.

The second factor revolves around teachers’ demands for salary increases to recover the value of wages before the economic crisis in 2019. According to Nasr, teachers’ salaries currently range between 30% to 65% of their original value before the crisis began. As a result, he said that “we also can’t be entirely negative toward the teachers,” stressing the importance of recognizing and responding to their needs.

While increases in wages are expected to impact tuition fees, Father Nasr made it clear that any adjustments must be weighed carefully. “Each school must assess how much the parents can afford,” he said. “We are required to maintain a balance between what parents can afford and the demands of the union and teachers.”

At the heart of the issue is the lack of a unified salary scale, which has led to wide discrepancies in how schools compensate their teachers. What was previously known as the “Support Fund” is now being referred to as “wages,” and those wages can vary significantly, from $200 to $1,500 per month, depending on the school.

Father Nasr reiterated that no standard policy has been issued regarding tuition increases and that decisions will be made on a school-by-school basis. “Each school says what suits it, and that’s their business,” he noted, adding that the priority remains preserving quality education while safeguarding both parents' and teachers' interests.

As for the timeline, no changes will be implemented before the end of the current academic year. “Everything we’re discussing takes effect starting October 2025,” Nasr confirmed. The current arrangements will remain in place until September 30, 2025.