Public schools are latest victim of Libyan infighting
Amid the lack of school buildings, the shortage of textbooks and the fighting, thousands of Libyan children will not be able to attend classes this year.
The school year in Libya usually starts the first week of September. Education in Libya is free of charge, and parents are legally required to keep their kids in school at least until they finish ninth grade. The school starting date is sometimes changed if it coincides with public holidays, such as religious or other national commemorations, but even then the delay is usually only for a couple of days.
This year, the start date for schools has been delayed three times for different reasons. The latest announcement from the Ministry of Education said that schools will open Oct. 24.
Even if that date materializes, not all schools will operate and not all children will attend classes in the violence-plagued, divided country, which has not witnessed a regular school year since the 2011 revolution that toppled the former regime and led the country into a total state of chaos and violence. Each year, school is delayed for a multitude of reasons, including the country's often being on a wartime footing and a lack of security and books.
One serious problem facing all Libyans in most cities is the lack of security, making schooling a difficult issue to tackle. Violence and inter-militia fighting could erupt at any time, as has been the case over the last few days when violence erupted in Tripoli because of a power struggle between different militias backing different political agendas. This situation is creating a difficult situation for parents, forcing them to either take their children to school themselves for safety reasons or to use costly private drivers, as public schools do not provide transportation for students.
