Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced in an interview with "Al-Sahm" newspaper that he was trying "hard to collect the largest number of university scholarships for Lebanese students abroad to obtain distinguished educational opportunities."

Asked about the possibility of raising teachers’ wages, he said: "The Lebanese state cannot afford wage adjustments because they would lead to inflation and therefore the value of the currency would fall in much greater proportions. (…) There are social aid opportunities that can be offered in a way that alleviates to some extent the suffering of educational institutions and employees in public administrations. These are considered interim steps, but we all know they may not be enough."

Asked whether or not the government will resume its meetings soon, he said: "I think that the prospects for solutions are not blocked, and what is happening is meant at settle things in the hopes that the period of obstruction will not be long because we are racing against time. We need to reach a solution to basic issues, most notably the ration card and negotiations with the World Bank and International Institutions."