Category: Education

Tripoli, The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, “Omran Al-Qeeb” met today, Wednesday, the British Ambassador to Libya, “Caroline Horndal”, in the presence of the President of the Libyan Academy of Graduate Studies and the Director General of the Scientific Research Authority.

The meeting discussed a number of issues of joint cooperation between the two friendly countries, according to what was published by the official page of the Libyan Academy of Higher Studies on Facebook.

During the meeting, Ambassador Horndal extended an invitation to the minister from his English counterpart to attend the English Higher Education Forum, which will be attended by more than 180 ministers of higher education.

Source: Libyan news Agency

MBABANE, ESWATINI —

Eswatini, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, said Saturday it had shut its schools “indefinitely with immediate effect” as the country faces a wave of pro-democracy protests.

Students of the tiny, landlocked nation formerly known as Swaziland have been protesting for a number of weeks, boycotting lessons and calling for free schooling, as well as an end to the regime under King Mswati III.

“His Majesty’s government has taken the decision to close schools indefinitely with immediate effect,” Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini said in a statement.

According to pro-democracy activists, the army and police have been deployed in schools this week, and several students have been arrested.

Civil society and opposition groups demonstrated in the largest cities, Manzini and Mbabane, in June, looting shops and ransacking business properties.

At least 28 people died as police clashed with protesters in some of the worst unrest in the southern African country’s history. The latest fatality came Wednesday.

On Friday, Eswatini shut down the internet for two hours as pro-democracy marchers headed to the capital.

The shutdown came as images of the protests circulated on social and traditional media, including pictures of two people who said they had been injured by gunshots fired by security forces.

The internet shutdown blocked social media and left many services running very slowly afterward.

On Saturday, the situation was calm, according to an AFP journalist.

King Mswati III has ruled Eswatini since 1986 and owns shares in the country’s telecoms.

He is criticized for living a lavish lifestyle in one of the world’s poorest countries and is accused of stifling political parties.

The king has accused demonstrators of depriving children of their education by taking part in the protests.

Source: Voice of America

Tripoli, Vice President of the Presidential Council, Abdullah Al-Lafi, accompanied by a member of the House of Representatives, Ayman Seif Al-Nasr, the Minister of Youth, Fathallah Al-Zani, and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Khairy Al-Zandi, followed the workshops that were held on the sidelines of the forum. Student youth to build peace and enhance stability, whose activities began this morning in Tripoli, with the participation of Libyan university students. Al-Lafi stressed the importance of the workshops held on the sidelines of the forum, which focused on managing dialogue sessions, the role of the media in reconciliation, and the role of youth in the process of building and strengthening peace. On the ground that will contribute to stability. The representative stressed that Libya needs young people more than ever to contribute to the success of the national reconciliation project launched by the Presidential Council. He stressed the need to come up with a national charter that supports reconciliation, in which young people have a real role.

Source: Libyan News Agency

Uganda’s Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, who is also the country’s First Lady, has rejected pleas by the Belgian ambassador to reopen international schools before the end of the year.

The envoy had made the request to the government amid concerns that international students’ academic year would be disrupted. Ambassador Rudi Veestraeten had argued that their academic year starts in September while that of Ugandan schools starts in January.

He noted that if international schools are left to reopen in January along with other local schools, the learners will have lost half a year.

“If the Ministry of Education can permit international schools to reopen, they will follow (Covid-19) guidelines just like they did last year. A number of diplomats send their children to these schools, so they are requesting the ministry to allow them to reopen before next year,” Veestraeten added.

However, Museveni rejected the request, noting that most learners in international schools are day scholars so they can easily transmit infections from schools to their parents.

“I received another letter from another ambassador other than you asking us to reopen international schools sooner than later. The problem we have been having is learners carrying the virus from schools to their parents. How shall we explain to communities if this happens?” Museveni said.

She added that it would be unfair to reopen international schools and leave out local ones, and asked their parents to continue with online teaching.

“I want you to understand and take our message to other colleagues. The government will reopen all institutions when it is safe. If we vaccinate all the teachers, non-teaching staff, and elders in the community, we shall open schools knowing we have done everything to save lives,” Museveni said.

Uganda’s Ministry of Education came under heavy criticism this year after it permitted international schools to reopen to conduct end-year exams, with the many Ugandans accusing the government of double standards.

More than 15 million learners in the country are still locked at home, with some, especially nursery and Primary One to Three pupils, spending nearly two years without stepping foot in class.

The government shut all institutions of learning in March last year, and again in June this year for the second time. The public has been putting pressure on the government to reopen schools before the year ends in vain.

President Museveni early this month cleared universities to reopen on Nov 1, while primary and secondary schools are scheduled to reopen next year.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, said the students who sat for the 2020 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education and qualified to join tertiary institutions will have to wait longer after their planned reopening in November.

There, however, has been confusion among members of the public about which category of students will report back first.

Muyingo said only First-Year students who did not complete their 2020/2021 academic year and continuing students will report back on Nov 1, while the second batch of First-Year students who have just completed their Senior Six will have to wait until those currently in First-Year class proceed to Second Year to give them room.

He said the ministry is working on the guidelines on how they will reopen and will issue dates for Senior One, Senior Five, and First-Year university students.

Source: Nam News Netwok

Tunis, The Minister of State for Displaced Affairs and Human Rights assigned “Ahmed Abu Khuzam” to an official work mission for the Republic of Tunisia, during which he discussed the file of the displaced in Tunisia, resolved their problems urgently, and worked on their return to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation.

This came during the Minister’s meeting with the Chargé d’Affairs at the Libyan Embassy and the staff of the Office of the Displaced Affairs of the Embassy, and the legal attaché of the discussion on the situation of the displaced in Tunisia, and reviewing the latest statistics and data.

At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to meet with a group of the displaced today to listen to them directly, in preparation for taking urgent executive measures to solve their problems and facilitate their return to the homeland.

Source: Libyan News Agency

Tripoli, President of Presidency Council met Head of Civil Registry Mohamed Betamar, to discuss issues concerning the authority and the mechanism adopted by it to address a number of issues.

The meeting which was held on Thursday dealt with the issue of granting Libyan nationality, the administrative number and also the sons and daughters of Libyan women married to non-Libyans.

The President of Presidency Council stressed importance for attention to be given to holders of the administrative number, calling for settlement of their situation, considering that granting the nationality should be subjected to strict measures in order for the rights of all to be preserved.

Al Mnefi renewed a call for Libyan women to be given their full rights in accordance with the law.

On his part the Head of the Civil Registry paid tribute to the Presidency Council for its effort to fulfill the future obligations political, economic and social, at such a delicate time which he said needs more attention to be paid to the Civil Registry work.

Source: Libyan News Agency