Published on 6/26/2026
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Last update: 6/27/2026 00:46 (Mecca time)
The decision to cancel baccalaureate exams in Lebanon for the year 2026 did not go unnoticed, but rather sparked a massive wave of interaction on social media platforms, varying between student joy and sharp resentment from the Teachers Syndicate.
Since March, Lebanon has been living under the influence of a violent Israeli military escalation that has led to comprehensive instability, and has had a direct impact on the conduct of lessons in educational institutions, a number of which have been turned into centers to shelter the displaced.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education responded to the mounting demands to cancel national exams, and announced yesterday the cancellation of the general secondary school exams, “baccalaureate,” in all its academic and technical branches. The measure includes students in high school in all its branches of arts, science, mathematics, and economics, in addition to the technical secondary school in their various specializations.
The success certificate is granted only based on the results of the continuous evaluation during the academic year, provided that a grade of no less than 9.5 out of 20 is achieved. The automatic certificate does not include failures, candidates, and free applicants, but they can apply to an exceptional session organized starting from July 21, 2026, to improve their results and obtain the official grade.
The decision sparked great joy among high school students, as hundreds of students gathered in the streets to celebrate, and social media pages circulated video clips of them dancing, setting off firecrackers, and ululating, after sit-ins and protests that lasted weeks in front of the Council of Ministers headquarters.
The Lebanese Teachers Syndicate did not like these clips, which expressed in a statement its regret over these celebrations, and held the political authority responsible for what education had become, considering that the scene constituted an insult to Lebanese education and its history.
For his part, Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee posted a tweet on the
Clarifying implementation mechanisms
The reactions of the tweeters to the decision, which was monitored by the episode (6/26/2026) of the “Shabakat” program, varied between those who supported the decision based on the conditions of war and displacement, and those who opposed it, considering that it was unfair and did not guarantee equal opportunities, while a third group demanded clarification of the executive mechanisms and ambiguous details about the criteria for success and the special session.
Tweet Dalia saw that the decision came too late after a long struggle, and wrote:
By God, we were tired until the Minister, who knows that most of us have been displaced, decided that our schools had become shelters
Tweeter Umm Maysa expressed her dissatisfaction with the students’ celebrations, considering that the minister yielded due to pressure, and tweeted:
O nation, at whose ignorance nations have laughed, you celebrate the cancellation of an important national exam such as the baccalaureate and then complain about the level of education? The minister’s decision was correct, and now, due to pressure, she yielded. God bless you, Taaleem
Tweeter Mayada expressed her concern about the ambiguity of the decision and the lack of clarity of its mechanisms, and wrote in surprise:
An irresponsible and unclear decision. How will one determine who deserves it and who does not? There is a lot of ambiguity. How can a pass certificate be issued without exams? Frankly, they should have postponed it, not canceled it
Education Minister Rima Karami is facing a new wave of criticism, as some considered the decision unfair and did not guarantee equal opportunities, after she had previously faced criticism for her adherence to holding exams and refusing to cancel them.
