Education in Lebanon

The Lebanese Council of 1736 urged the Maronite clergy to create schools in every village in order to educate both men and women. It furthered ordered that Arabic be the language of teaching and that it should be taught next to Syriac, the Maronite liturgical language. During the Ottoman period, networks of public schools coexisted alongside foreign missionary schools established by European and American religious organizations. In 1920, during the French Mandate, the largest administrative institution for Lebanon (and Syria) was established, the Service de l'instruction Publique, also known under the abbreviation SIP. A clause in the 1922 draft of the 1926 constitution, drafted during the French mandate, emphasised in article 10 the freedom of education service providers, notably on the right of religious communities. The French mandate did not invest sufficient funds in Lebanon's public education system. This was already evident in 1938, when the number of private schools and students enrolled in them exceeded the number of public schools and students attending them. Permitting religious and non-religious communities to establish their own schools and determine their own curriculum allowed the SIP to cut costs. In exchange for this independence, they only required the schools to include a set number of French language instruction hours per week. Although many schools were founded by specific religious communities or missionary organizations, students and teachers frequently moved between institutions, and schools often educated pupils from different confessional backgrounds. Historians have noted that these educational networks sometimes created “communities of knowledge,” in which ideas circulated across sectarian boundaries through shared curricula and teaching staff. Though the public education sector expanded significantly since independence in 1943, the private sector is still dominant with respect to number of schools and students. Driven by different visions of citizenship, the Lebanese program of education has undergone three curricular reforms (1946, 1968-1971, 1997). After gaining independence, the Lebanese government wrote in 1946 the first national curriculum, modifying the 1926 Ministère de l'Instruction Publique of the French Mandate. The goal was to foster a Lebanese national identity by demanding Arabic as main language of study and nurturing patriotism. The second curricular reform in 1968-1971 was triggered by the rise of Pan-Arabism, which sought to set a Pan-Arabic identity over Lebanese nationalism. Educational institutions in Lebanon have historically played an important role in shaping political and cultural identities, including debates over Lebanese nationalism, Arab nationalism, and citizenship. During the Lebanese Civil War, the various factions published their own history education books, trying to control historical narratives. Students and teachers often joined militias for protection, bringing arms to school and showcasing their allegiance by debates and graffiti. When the new Government of Lebanon signed the three-part blueprint for reconstruction in law in 1990, the third section of this peace agreement outlined five points for education reform. The third major reform was a result of this and in 1994, the CERD carried out the Plan for Educational reform, which resulted in a revised national curriculum. The history curriculum caused controversy and subsequently did not pass reform legislature. Subsequent events to write a great narrative failed too, creating a gridlock and thus resulting in an unchanged 1968-71 history education curriculum. == Education System ==

The Lebanese educational system consists of 5 cycles, which are divided among 3 main subdivisions: the preschool, basic, and secondary stages. The stage of preschool education (cycle 1) begins at the age of 3 or 4. Basic education, which is considered compulsory, continues from the age of 6 to the age of 14. and ends with a Baccalaureat or professional certificate, of which either can give access to tertiary education. In April 2015, the Minister of Education, Elias Bou Saab, acknowledged the myriad challenges and gaps that exist in the Lebanese school system, and the public schools, particularly. While the Lebanese law stipulates that the national curriculum should be updated every four years, it has not been updated since 2000. Plus, because of the national disagreement over Lebanon's modern history, history textbooks cover historical events before 1945 only. The national exams (Grade 9 Brevet and Grade 12 Baccalaureate) were not graded in 2014. Preschool Education Preschool education aims to initiate children into the school environment. The goal of pre-school education is to create a favorable climate for children to communicate with others, develop their physical capacities, limb control and coordination of their movements, and educate their senses. Preschool education also takes into account the physiological, moral, and intellectual development of children. Also, the private enrollment share for preschool education marked 80.3 percent in 2008. With university graduates making up 30% of people seeking a job, it is clear that the Higher Education system needs to play a key role in resolving the problem of youth unemployment in Lebanon. The key issue related to this sector is the mismatch between the highly skilled graduates that universities supply and the skills and professionals the labor market demands; these supply-demand failings in the labor market are increasingly preventing young people from finding a job in their country that fits their qualifications. In order to address these issues, universities can implement policies to reform the curricula to better prepare graduates for their professional life, improve career guidance structures and activities, and invest in relevant research, statistics and data gathering. Lebanon has 41 nationally accredited universities, several of which are internationally recognized. QS Top Universities ranks AUB second in the Arab world. Not all private higher educational institutions in Lebanon consider SAT I or SAT II for undergraduate admissions. The majority require a local entrance test prepared by these individual higher educational institutions. In most times, the entrance test is a placement test. The main requirement for undergraduate admissions for Lebanese students is the secondary-school leaving certificate called the Baccalaureate II or more recently the International Baccalaureate. However, students with a foreign nationality are admitted to private higher education institutions that pattern after the American system of higher education as Freshman students in case they do not have an equivalence to the Baccalaureate II. In case they obtain an equivalence from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, they are admitted as sophomore students. As for the Lebanese University, which is the only public higher educational institution in Lebanon, students are admitted to undergraduate programs based on the Baccalaureate II certificate. A number of faculties at the Lebanese University, such as the Faculty of Sciences, require further testing for selectivity based on entrance tests (concours) prepared and administered by this faculty. File:American-University-Beirut-NW.jpg|AUB established in 1866 by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. File:French Faculty of Medicine.jpg|Entrance to the Medical Sciences Campus of Saint Joseph University of Beirut. The university was founded in 1875 by French Jesuit missionaries. File:Useknlogo.jpg|Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, or Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik, founded by the Lebanese Maronite Order (LMO) in 1938. File:NDU5.jpg|NDU, founded by the Maronite Order of The Holy Virgin Mary in 1978. File:AUST at night.jpg|American University of Science and Technology, founded in Achrafieh in 1989. == Center for Educational Research and Development (CRDP) ==

About It was established on 10 December 1971 as a public institution. CRDP has a juristic persona that enjoys administrative and financial autonomy. It directly reports to the Minister of Education and Higher Education who represents the custodial authority in the government. The Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) is an autonomous staff organization under the trusteeship of the MOEHE. CERD's tasks are 1) to draft curricula of academic and vocational education for the pre-university education stage, 2) to revise and modify the curricula according to the necessity, 3) to prepare all means and ways for applying these curricula, 4) to do educational research, 5) to secure training for pre-university teachers, 6) to prepare the curricula in all subject areas, 7) to provide teacher training, 8) to write textbooks, and 9) to conduct evaluations, etc. Objectives CRDP aims at establishing the following core principles. • Establish an official central body to control educational topics through recruiting qualified personas. This professional enrollment allows the government to process developmental educational strategies to enhance the status of education in Lebanon. • Present themselves as being proactively present through integrated scientific, technological and cultural developmental approaches. • Establish a formal educational authority to cooperate with similar bodies in other countries. == CRDP Projects ==

My Book (Kitabi) It is a funded project by the USAID. The project's main aim is to develop better learning outcomes and provide equal opportunities for students to enroll in formal schools. Kitabi project aims at lessening the pressure on the educational sector due to Syrian refugees overflow into Lebanese public schools. IFADEM Francophonie Initiative for Distance Training of French Language Teachers in Primary Schools in the Lebanese Republic (IFADEM) initiative aims at training teachers remotely to improve their professional competency level, mainly in the educational field. The program targets primary school teachers who are already in educational service, in teaching French and teaching in French. Francophonie Initiative for Distance Training of French Language Teachers in Primary Schools in the Lebanese Republic (IFADEM) proposes and presents training programs that are partly remote, and personalized for the teacher's needs. Curriculum Development Project Many factors contributed to the launching of this project. The Educational Center for Research and Development main goal is to develop educational curricula, and at the same time continuous evaluation of these curricula. Quality Approach CRDP which aim at improving the training, resources, documentation, research and information system, will have a medium-term strategy for an agreed and planned program continuously, aiming at engaging the guidelines for national education policy. Child safety on the Internet The target aim for this project is creating a safer environment, and raising awareness about the proper and responsible use of the Internet among children, parents and caregivers. The International Student Assessment Program (PISA) Adapting this program is meant for measuring the readiness of students, who are about to complete their general or vocational education, or enter the labor market, to meet the challenges of their societies. Education Project for Sustainable Development This project is committed to construct action that can only be achieved through introducing the importance of sustainable development to every person and every society, through a comprehensive approach that develops knowledge and enhances the skills necessary to achieve a sustainable future. School Map It acts as an advanced tool to support reading the educational reality and planning its development. It targets submitting proposals to the decision-making authority about the needs of formal education according to specific geographical locations. The International Study of Trends in Levels of Performance in Mathematics and Science (TIMSS) The International Mathematics and Science Study Trends in International Mathematics and Sciences Study - TIMSS came to provide a number of qualitative and quantitative indicators on the reality of education systems in the participating countries, monitoring and controlling them, which aims at evaluating and improving them, that is why this project was adopted. Interactive Panels Project These installations, the interactive panels, are being used in twenty-first century schools as a modern and interactive method of education based on the use of electromagnetic theory to transfer information between the teacher's computer and the projector of the board and the board. Project to Support Syrian Students in Lebanese Public Schools This project was launched after the UNICEF and the Educational Center for Research and Development have expressed their desire to provide the educational means necessary for the enrollment of Syrian children in public schools and to support the stumbling Lebanese students in these schools by developing a curriculum relevant to their needs. Shakespeare Lives in Schools Both CERD and the British Council have collaborated to produce a Shakespeare school pack that has been specially adapted for Lebanon in order to facilitate the Teaching of Shakespeare's plays in schools. Population Education This project falls within the National Program for Reproductive Health and within the framework of the second cooperation program (2002-2008) between the United Nations Population Fund and the Lebanese government. Back to School A coursework program for children who drop out of ages 9–11. It is a joint project between UNESCO and the Educational Center for Research and Development. Community service The main concept of " community service " project is to activate in the empowerment of citizenship belief and diversity. Raising Awareness of the Dangers of Drug Addiction This project will include many different educational products and other resources that would guide learners of different age groups. It also serves in accompanying them in various educational sessions to develop awareness and enhance life skills. Psychosocial Support The project has two main dimensional goals. It works to enhance socio-emotional learning by enhancing its core competencies and including it in modern curricula and in various subjects. == Education Management ==

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) regulates all education institutes in the public sector through a regional education system. The education system in Lebanon is centralized, and this regulation is not direct. The education system is managed through regional education bureaus. Public schools are monitored by the regional education bureaus in the governorates. The regional education bureau serves as liaisons between the public school and the directorates of education at the ministry's headquarters. Private schools have their own organization, but private schools are still subject to the authority of the MOEHE.{{cite web |url= http://timss.bc.edu/TIMSS2007/PDF/T07_Enc_V1.pdf ==Education Finance==

According to the United Nations Human Development Index 2014, public education expenditure as percentage of GDP is 1.65 in 2014. Public schools are financed by the Ministry of Education and private schools are financed by students' fees. The processes involved curricula draft and modification, and teacher training are mainly financed by nongovernment funds such as private companies or international bodies which include the World Bank and the UNDP. ==Curriculum==

Overview The Lebanese curriculum is used at all public and private schools in Lebanon. Schools have to apply both the Lebanese and foreign schemes at the same time when they will implement a foreign curriculum (French, English, or international) in a school. • Citizenship • Intellectual level • Social level • National level Kindergarten Students at this stage are subject to experience diverse outcomes throughout their learning journey. They get accustomed to facing this gradual transitional period from being at home into the classroom environment. Also, they build a physiological, motor, emotional and intellectual competencies needed for his development. During this stage, the child develops his physical abilities that enable him to manage his body parts, coordinate his movements, and enhance his senses. The curriculum states that at this stage kids are encouraged to gain automatic language skills that are reflected in the comprehension, expression and performance skill preparing him to develop the processes of reading and writing. Kids in the kindergarten level are supported to achieve self-confidence, highlight their feelings, and gain independence and take responsibility relevant to their age. Also, at this stage they are aided to enable them to think, understand and acquire through their senses, positive interaction with the surrounding, and by scientific means and methods. It is important to mention that kids will be provided with the appropriate environment to motivate them to communicate with others and express themselves. Developing the spirit of cooperation, systematic pattern reflecting good manners and good behavioral habits are also core goals to be achieved at this stage. More, adapting the children to be part of a group, help them build family and social relationships, and introduce them to primary manifestations of patriotism are added to the list of expected curriculum outcome. Last but not least, kids are encouraged to development positive attitude toward manual work. ==Syrian refugees in Lebanese schools==

The Syrian crisis has placed a large burden on Lebanese public schools. There are nearly 400,000 school-aged refugee children in Lebanon, which is roughly 25% more than the number of Lebanese students in Lebanese public schools. Only an estimated 30% of the Syrian refugee school-aged children are receiving an education. In addition to barriers to access and other challenges, a significant barrier to integration is language: Syrian schools are taught in Arabic, while Lebanese public schools incorporate both French and English. In 2014, 104,000 Syrian refugee students were taught in Lebanese schools. In 2015, the Ministry of Education aimed to double the number of Syrian children in public schools to 200,000 students. ==See also==