Education in Lebanon
[2] According to a 2013 World Economic Forum (WEF) report, Lebanon was ranked 17th in overall quality of education, and 5th in science and mathematics.
[8] The Lebanese educational system consists of 5 cycles, which are divided among 3 main subdivisions: the preschool, basic, and secondary stages.
It is usually completed at the age of 18,[9] and ends with a Baccalaureat or professional certificate, of which either can give access to tertiary education.
When students complete three years education, they take official Lebanese Baccalaureate exams in their respective tracks (four in all).
Students who finish examinations successfully obtain the Lebanese Baccalaureate Certificate of Secondary Education (Shahaadat Al-Bakaalouriya al Lubnaaniya l’il-ta ‘liim al-Thaanawi) or the Technical Baccalaureate (Al-Bakaalouriya al-Finniya)[15] In 2014, the Minister of Education passed all students who took the exam, regardless of their score.
[19] With university graduates making up 30% of people seeking a job,[20] 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.
[21] 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.
[24][25] The majority of the forty-one universities, both public and private, largely operate in French or English, the two most widely used foreign languages in Lebanon.
On the other hand, students who have graduated from a school that follows the Lebanese educational system are directly admitted to the sophomore year.
The majority require a local entrance test prepared by these individual higher educational institutions.
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.
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.
[32] The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, and the Director of the British Council in Lebanon, Eunice Crook, signed a contract worth 1.3 million euros to facilitate the integration of students into the Lebanese public school system.
The project's main aim is to support the Ministry of Education with all its legal bodies in the process of developing a methodology for language teaching and cultural awareness.
[34] 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.
[37] 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.
[38] 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.
It targets submitting proposals to the decision-making authority about the needs of formal education according to specific geographical locations.
[41] 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.
[43] 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.
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.
[33] The Lebanese curriculum aims at developing the individual on:[51] Students at this stage are subject to experience diverse outcomes throughout their learning journey.
During this stage, the child develops his physical abilities that enable him to manage his body parts, coordinate his movements, and enhance his senses.
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.
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.
