The representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Edward Beigbeder on Thursday warned against the educational abandonment in Lebanon in the context of the successive crises in this sector.

In a statement, Beigbeder praised the Education Minister´s call to open public schools to students coming Monday following irregular attendance for over three years as a result of worsening living conditions.

The UNICEF official stressed that estimates indicated that 16% of Lebanese children have recently dropped out of school, while 49% of Syrian refugee children are not enrolled in basic education.

Beigbeder highlighted the launch of a new non-formal education program aimed at children aged 8 to 14 to ease the chance for them to return to classroom.

In cooperation with the Lebanese authorities, the pilot project started off past February involving as many as 5,000 children in 19 private schools.

UNICEF’s education-related programs in the country are part of an annual work plan aimed at supporting the most vulnerable children and young people to get a comprehensive and quality education in public schools.

In this regard, Beigbeder called on the Government to continue its commitment with children, teachers and schools and to take immediate practical measures to guarantee a quality, safe and inclusive education.

According to UNICEF figures, over 65,000 boys and 70,000 girls in Lebanon struggle to access education, mainly due to economic vulnerability and child labor.