Students struggle as crisis cripples university sector

AFP 15 January 2022

Power shortages and soaring petrol prices mean many Lebanese university students can neither afford to reach their classes nor study from home, a conundrum that is ravaging a generation’s future, reports AFP.

Agnes, a 22-year-old dentistry student from south Lebanon, is among the few still plodding to class in Beirut four days a week. The five hours she spends on a bus daily now costs her LBP1.3 million (US$862) a month – “that’s half of my father’s salary”, she said. Such expenses are now beyond the reach of most Lebanese students, with their country in the throes of a financial, political and health crisis that has ravaged its economy.

As a result, and also because teachers face similar difficulties, many universities continue to offer online classes. But staying connected during state power cuts that often last more than 20 hours a day also comes at a cost.
Full report on the France24 site

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