After reaching a late-night deal with the union to allow official exams to begin later this week, Education Minister Elias Bou Saab pressed lawmakers Wednesday to resolve the wage hike issue to end the teachers' strike to ensure the tests would be graded on time.

Bou Saab said he had agreed with the Union Coordination Committee Tuesday to postpone official exams until Friday in a last-ditch deal to avert a major confrontation.

The agreement, which was reached around midnight following a marathon meeting Tuesday between Bou Saab and UCC officials, came after Parliament failed to discuss the wage hike bill during a daytime legislative session, ignoring the UCC's key demand in exchange for it going ahead with the official school exams.

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