Education Sector

Project Selection Criteria

The vision pertaining to reforming the education sector is strongly based on the current status of the sector, along with the macroeconomic constraints Lebanon currently faces. The vision comprises optimising and rationalising public investment in this sector. Comprehensive examination of the sector induced analysis of its four sub-sectors: Child Care, General Education, Vocational and Technical Education (VTE), and Higher Education, and developing the interventions accordingly. As the following presentation shows, all interventions are of importance, as they address different educational levels.

1.0 Intervention 1: Pre-school level, kindergarten

One of the major determinants of elementary performance is the adequacy of pre-school preparation, reflected in both quantity and quality. Many public schools still do not hold a pre-school level, which adversely affects the performance at later stages of education. In this respect, this intervention is of a physical nature as it aims at expanding the number of public school that provide kindergarten education services, as well as significantly reinforcing the pre-school level in public schools, mainly in high-density areas.

2.0 Intervention 2: Primary and Intermediate levels

This intervention does not require direct physical investments. The main aim at the primary and intermediate levels is to apply the law of compulsory education and extend it till the age of 15 (end of the intermediate stage). These efforts will significantly reduce failure and drop-out rates, as well as improve literacy rates, which comprise the main education indicators.

3.0 Intervention 3: All levels of the public sector

The double shift system in general constitutes one of the main determinants of school performance. As many schools still hold this system, this intervention aims at eliminating it through building new schools to make up for the needed capacity.

Another dimension addressed is the general physical status of school blocks as well their equipment. Improved building quality and access to equipment will be aimed at under this intervention.

4.0 Intervention 4: University

Distortions in the education sector are not confined to the school levels; university levels also suffer from various problems. The main drawback lies in that the Lebanese University is disaggregated in many sites, instead of being combined in a limited number of campuses. Thus, this intervention aims at creating four unified sites in Lebanon, in accordance with SDATL recommendations.

5.0 Intervention 5: Vocational and Technical Training

Vocational and technical training in Lebanon enjoy a considerable demand, which necessitates that special attention is given to this sub-sector. The systems under which VTE work are in most of the cases obsolete, and do not directly reflect the needs of the labour market. Supply of VTE centres is still limited in some regions, adequate equipment is still lacking and the taught programs are rigid providing limited program diversification.

This shows that this intervention has two components. The first aims at building new VTE centres and the second addresses introduction of new fields of specialisation that correspond to the market needs.