Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, in his capacity as Chairman of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, opened the 32nd annual conference of Catholic schools, at Our Lady of Louaize School in Zouk Mosbeh, under the title “The Teaching Profession in the Age of New Intelligence: A Renewed Message.”
The conference was attended by Patriarch Mar Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Patriarch Raphael Bedros Suef, the head of the General Secretariat of Catholic Schools, Father Youssef Nasr, the General Director of Education Fadi Yarak, the head of the Educational Center for Research and Development, Hiyam Ishaq, the head of the Teachers Syndicate, Nima Mahfoud, representatives of the army leadership, the internal security forces, public security, and state security, and the head of the Maronite League, Engineer Maroun Al-Helu, along with a number of university presidents, educational officials, school principals, teachers, and parents.
The opening session began with the Lebanese national anthem and the anthem of the Catholic schools, before the journalist Samar Bou Khalil delivered a speech in which she considered that the world is going through a pivotal moment with the entry of the era of artificial intelligence, stressing that education is not limited to transmitting information, but rather is based on building personality, forming conscience, and discovering meaning.
Bou Khalil stressed that artificial intelligence represents an ethical, educational, and humanitarian issue, and that the responsibility for regulating it does not fall on companies alone, but rather requires community partnership. She warned against using it in military and economic competition, and against misinformation that marginalizes education in favor of military spending.
She stressed that the future of education is not determined by the number of devices and applications, but rather by placing the human being at the heart of technology and conscience at the heart of knowledge, noting that the machine cannot replace the teacher who gives the student confidence and tells him: “You can.”
In turn, the head of the General Secretariat of Catholic Schools, Father Youssef Nasr, considered that the title of the conference confirms that education lies at the heart of the Church’s mission, and that the Catholic school constitutes an essential part of serving humanity and building a final homeland for all its children.
He pointed out that the questions asked today touch on the essence of the human being, the meaning of knowledge, the role of the school, and the teacher’s mission in a world that is changing at an unprecedented speed, pointing out that the transformation does not affect the curricula alone, but rather the meaning of knowledge and the way it is produced, after machines became capable of writing, translating, analysing, programming, drawing, and answering complex questions within seconds.
Nasr emphasized that school builds a human being, as the student learns how to think, ask, distinguish, choose, and bear responsibility for his choices, stressing that the most prominent role falls on the teacher as the basic pillar in promoting critical thinking and values education.
He believed that the real challenge lies in the renewal of the teacher to become a creator, a knowledge maker, and a mission holder who participates in building humanity and society. He wondered about the reality of teachers and the extent to which they feel professional security and have access to development opportunities.
He explained that school administrations are aware of the depth of this issue and are searching for solutions to it, even though the challenges exceed their capabilities and require state intervention to assume its responsibilities and develop sustainable solutions, considering that the renewed teacher is the product of a renewed school that keeps pace with modernity without losing its identity, and is digital without abandoning its humanity.
Nasr focused on the reality of Lebanon in light of the wars in the south and the economic and social crises, stressing that what the educator builds in the child’s mind and heart remains the foundation for a nation that will not disappear, and that Catholic schools have maintained their mission even in the most difficult circumstances.
He pointed out that developing the school environment requires developing the legislative environment and updating laws, especially Law 515, in a way that achieves justice and transparency, calling for a sincere partnership between the Ministry of Education, the Educational Center, the Teachers Syndicate, and the parents’ committee unions, to reach a new educational charter that places education above conflicts.
He stressed that the success of the new curricula requires preparing teachers and securing resources, with the need to begin training and experimentation at the beginning of the current academic year. He also stressed that the high school certificate represents a guarantee of equality, calling for restoring confidence in official exams and maintaining their credibility as a contract of trust between the state and society.
Nasr put forward five practical commitments, including issuing a framework for integrating artificial intelligence into education, developing a sustainable plan for teacher development and digital transformation, adopting a permanent dialogue mechanism with all those concerned with educational affairs, devising a new model for school sustainability based on classifying performance and distinguishing messages, and enhancing cooperation between Catholic schools and private school union institutions to exchange resources and expertise.
He stressed that education in a Catholic school is based on the interconnection between a sustainable school, a decent teacher, and a family capable of ensuring the education of its children, which allows the school to remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ and create hope in the homeland.
For her part, Minister of Education and Higher Education Rima Karami appreciated the role of Patriarch Al-Rahi in placing education at the heart of his national concerns and positions, and the role of Bishop Youssef Soueif in sponsoring the mission of Catholic schools and enhancing their educational and national presence, thanking the General Secretariat of Catholic Schools for organizing the conference and choosing its title.
Karami said that the educational sector in Lebanon has been living under the weight of successive crises for years, starting from the economic crisis, interruption of education, and displacement, to wars, attacks, school disruption, and the decline in the ability of teachers, families, and institutions to continue, stressing that emergency approaches should not be transformed into a permanent method of managing education.
She stressed that the challenge is not limited to steadfastness, but rather represents transformation and transition from managing the crisis to building the future, considering that the “Vision of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education 2040” constitutes a national framework for building an educational system that is more resilient and innovative, more just, more quality, and more responsive to the evolving and changing needs of learners and society.
She explained that the vision is based on 7 interconnected goals that combine quality education, school development, teacher empowerment, digital transformation, and enhancing social cohesion, in a way that qualifies the people of Lebanon to live, work, and participate responsibly in a rapidly changing society.
She stressed that the teacher is the cornerstone of this vision, stressing that “Vision 2040” will not be achieved by policies, plans and documents alone, but rather by the teacher educator and professional who has the initiative and decision-making and leads change within his classroom, school and community.
Regarding the digital transformation file, Karami emphasized that technology and artificial intelligence are not an independent goal, but rather a means to improve learning, expand access opportunities, and support teachers in responding to the needs of learners, stressing that teachers are the ones who lead, while technology remains a tool in their hands.
She called for not dealing with artificial intelligence with fear or blind amazement, but rather to benefit from its potential to personalize learning and expand access to knowledge, in parallel with protecting learners’ data and privacy, ensuring equal opportunities, and building teachers’ capabilities to use it in an educational, ethical and responsible manner.
She pointed out that technology can provide information, but it cannot understand the learner’s feelings, touch his heart and soul, give him confidence, or build his conscience, values, and responsibility.
Regarding the situation of teachers, Karami stressed that speaking honestly about the renewed image of the teacher and the ambitious vision for education cannot take place while teachers live in daily anxiety about their salaries, social security, and ability to continue, stressing that the steadfastness of the educational system cannot remain at the expense of their dignity and rights.
She announced that she will continue to carry and defend teachers’ rightful demands within the Council of Ministers, while realizing that addressing these demands goes beyond the powers of the government and the Ministry of Education and requires a national decision and responsible solidarity, stressing her commitment to safeguarding teachers’ rights, providing them with opportunities for continuous professional development, and involving them in reform paths.
Regarding the developed curricula, Karami considered that their implementation constitutes the true test of Vision 2040, explaining that what the ministry is doing is not limited to updating books, but rather represents a shift in the philosophy of the curriculum and its outlook on knowledge, learning, and the learner.
She pointed out that the new curricula shift the focus from the amount of information the learner memorizes to his ability to understand what he learns, employ it, transfer it to new contexts, and use it in analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making, based on the competency-based approach.
She explained that the curricula combine competencies specific to academic subjects and cross-cutting competencies, including critical and creative thinking, problem solving, research and investigation, communication and cooperation, self-management, taking initiative, and using technology in a conscious and responsible manner, which places the learner at the heart of the educational process and is seen as an integrated human being.
Karami addressed Catholic school teachers, considering that they are essential partners in implementing, testing and evaluating the developed curricula, and called on them to lead the process of consolidating the features of the professional teacher on which Vision 2040 is based.
She stressed that the Ministry views private education as an essential part of the national educational system and a partner without which educational reform cannot be completed, stressing in return that the importance of private education does not mean that the state retreats from its basic responsibility to protect and strengthen the public school.
She considered that the public school represents a guarantee of the right to education and equality among the people of Lebanon, and that strengthening it is a national priority for which there is no alternative.
At the end of her speech, she called for a responsible dialogue that balances the continuity of institutions, the rights of teachers, and the ability of families to bear the burdens, stressing that these issues are not addressed through confrontation or emotions, but rather through numbers, transparency, and consultation, and that Vision 2040 is not a document for the distant future, but rather is embodied in the choices that are made today.
For his part, Patriarch Al-Rahi stressed that artificial intelligence has brought the world into a new era in which knowledge is accelerating in an unprecedented way, stressing that the question is no longer limited to how to use it, but rather how to make it at the service of man without man becoming his service.
He considered that artificial intelligence does not eliminate the teaching profession, but rather calls for its reinvention, explaining that the role of the teacher is no longer to be the primary source of information, but rather to transform information into knowledge, knowledge into understanding, and understanding into the ability to distinguish, choose, and create.
He called for education to move from storing information to building the ability to think, from indoctrination to analysis and deduction, and from preparing the student for the exam to preparing him for life.
Al-Rai said that artificial intelligence does not put an end to the teacher’s profession, but rather puts an end to an old image of it, stressing that the teacher who builds the mind, develops personality, awakens curiosity, and educates on discrimination and responsibility, can turn technology into an additional tool in his hands.
He stressed that “the Church is not afraid of artificial intelligence,” warning, on the other hand, of technological progress and human regression, and of schools becoming more intelligent, less wise, more connected and less communicative, more rapid and less profound, stressing that modernization does not mean putting computers in the classroom, but rather renewing educational thought.
He explained that the image of the new teacher is represented by the “teacher of wisdom” in the age of information, the “teacher of understanding and discrimination” in the time of quick answers, the “guardian of the human relationship” in the age of the screen, and the “human teacher” in the age of artificial intelligence, calling for continuous training of teachers on these tools, their capabilities, limits, and dangers.
He pointed out that the Catholic school does not educate the mind alone, but rather educates the human being, considering that the school of the future is not the one that has the largest number of technologies, but rather the one that knows why to use them, when, and for what purpose.
He stressed that what is needed is not a school that is hostile to technology or subject to it, but rather a school that is led educationally, morally, and humanely, and remains faithful to its mission of forming the human being in all his dimensions.
Al-Rahi called for rediscovering the teaching profession, modernizing curricula, investing in teachers before devices, and teaching children to use artificial intelligence consciously, freely, and responsibly, stressing that development must constitute an opportunity in which the teacher returns to the essence of his mission as a human being maker, mind builder, generation companion, and message bearer, and that education must remain faithful to human beings.
Before the opening session, the conference included an artistic station presented by artist George Khabbaz, during which he talked about his experience with the Catholic school in which he received his education, and the role it played in helping him discover his talent and determine his path and what he wanted to be.
Artists Layal Nehme and Nader Khoury also presented a group of hymns, followed by an expressive dance performance presented by the students of Val Berjac School, in addition to a video presentation that addressed the role of the teacher and his importance in the lives and careers of the students.
The conference comes at a time when the Lebanese educational sector is witnessing an escalating debate about how to integrate artificial intelligence into education, in conjunction with work to develop curricula and address the financial and social crises that put pressure on schools, teachers, and families, amid efforts to preserve the humanitarian and educational role of the teacher in the face of accelerating technological transformations.
