 Business Information : Education
EDUCATION
►The system
The educational system is based on the French Baccalaureate and is divided into:
▫ Pre-school
▫ Primary
▫ Intermediate and secondary stages.
A continuing reform program, which involved many working groups and concerns both the public and the private sectors, concentrated on a new curriculum.
► Educational reform
The proposals in the educational reform bill were the fruit of a lengthy study made in association with the UN, the Center for Education Research and Development (CERD), and the government.
Among important changes was to lengthen primary education to six years. The underlying thought was that a longer time spent in the first stage of schooling would encourage children to stay in school until the age of 15. UNESCO studies show that after five years of schooling or less there is still a possibility that a child will be illiterate. At the secondary level, a fourth specialization was added to the three existing baccalaureate qualifications.
►primary and secondary education
Preschool
Preschool care and education is a booming business. In 1997 alone, 150 new kindergartens were created in the public school systems. Currently, the country has 280 licensed childcare nurseries. Licensed nurseries are inspected once or twice a year.
Enrollment
An upturn in student enrollment in schools has continued since 1993. The number of public school students is nearly at the level seen in the mid-1970s. The number of females in the student body continues to increase, nearly rivaling its male counterpart. The fee-paying private sector absorbs the most number of students, 61 percent of the total student body.
By 2001 there were 2,671 schools nearly equally distributed between public and private institutions. There are plans to rehabilitate and extend 27 schools and build 25 new ones to boost student capacity by 10,500.
Literacy rates
The national literacy rate stands at slightly more than 89 percent. Nearly all males (93 percent) are literate. The literacy rate for females stands at 85 percent. Statistics indicate the literacy gender gap is almost non-existent among the very young.
Teaching staff
During the 2000-2001 academic year, there were 81,672 teachers, almost equally divided between private and public sectors. The student to teacher ratio in public schools is 9:1. This was partly attributed to the geographic distribution of public schools across the country as well as the number of tenured teachers with the ministry.
The cost of education
Both public and private sector schooling costs money. The Ministry of Education reduced registration fees in public schools, which had ranged from an annual LL40,000 to LL90,000 ($60). The cost for students in kindergarten and elementary was set at LL10,000, with the intermediate level at LL20,000, and secondary school LL30,000. Even with the reduced fees, some of the least well-off find school fees a burden and are subsidized by one of several charitable organizations.
Fees for private schools vary considerably, with some as expensive as $5,000 a year. An average cost is around LL2.7 million ($1,800).
Opening a school and a nursery
School License
The Ministry of Education’s Department of Private Schooling is responsible for processing applications for private school license. There are two types of schools – academic and non-academic.
Licensing is a two-stage process. After an application has been submitted and the paperwork found to be in order, it is forwarded to various government departments and the local governorate, which checks that the building is in a suitable school environment, one that is safe for students.
After the school has been inspected, the department of private schooling at the ministry prepares a proposal, which must be signed by the minister.
Preschool License
The Ministry of Public Health’s Mother and Child care Department regulates the opening of nurseries. The management must present detailed maps of the nursery grounds, copies of the employment contracts of the principle and supervisor, and an agreement with a doctor who will regularly visit and provide emergency treatment.
► Vocational training
Enrollment
Enrollment in vocational schools has shown a steady increase, an average of 8.87 percent per year between the 1974-1975 and the 1993-1994 academic years. This reflects the increasing awareness of the importance of vocational training, which is no longer viewed as the dumping ground of non-academically inclined students. The private sector is by far the largest provider in this field.
In the 2000 academic year, the country counted 334 private and 40 public institutes.
Vocational Programs
There are six official vocational programs commonly known by their French abbreviations. The majority of the schools offer the BT (Baccalauréate Technique) or TS (Technicien Supérieur) program. Few offer the complete range.
The CAP (Certificat d’Aptitude Professionelle), BP (Brevet Professionnel) or FPM (Formation Professionnelle de Maîtrise) programs graduate technical employees. The BT or TS programs train lower and middle management staff in technical enterprises. The LT (License Technique) or LTE (License Technique d’Enseignement) is the most advanced degree and qualifies the holder to teach.
There is nothing to bar students who hold vocational degrees from enrolling in a university and pursuing advanced studies in their fields of specialization. Similar to other students, technical graduates start university at the freshman level.
► Higher education
Number of Students:
Higher learning in Lebanon encompasses the training received at universities, faculties attached to universities, and institutes of higher learning that may be affiliated to a university.
Universities must have at least three faculties. The institute can specialize in just one subject.
There are currently about 50,000 students enrolled in private universities as opposed to the 75,000 or so at the Lebanese University, a public institution. Some of those who opt for a private university do so because the Lebanese University is over-subscribed in many majors.
Universities
Lebanon has some 40 colleges and universities and numerous institutes of higher learning. The number has mushroomed in the past few years. They offer a wide range of specializations. Recently, several colleges have opened liberal arts faculties that encompass areas such as communication, hospitality, computer software, and money and banking. There is also a growing awareness of the need to satisfy the demands of industry.
The Lebanese University, a national institute established in 1953, is by far the largest – but not the oldest. It has 47 branches across the country. The American University of Beirut (AUB) and St. Joseph University are the oldest. Both were established in the 1800s. Other top universities include Beirut Arab, Lebanese American, Kaslik, Balamand, and Notre Dame.
Opening a new university
The system was formalized by a set of regulations drawn up in 1961. At that point, the 11 original universities were judged to meet the criteria and received a license. In 1996 a decree was issued to tighten the rules, and especially to bring into line any unregulated institutions that had sprung up. It is required, for example, that the academic and administrative bodies exist in a number proportional to the number of students. Documented proof of ownership of the land on which the university is to be built must be supplied. A university campus cannot be located in the same building as a residential or commercial interest.
Cost of Education
The cost of higher education varies considerably. The fees are not simply determined by whether the student is enrolled in a private or public institution. The faculty and the institution itself also determine it.
Some universities such as the Beirut Arab University and the St. Joseph University are supported by charitable and regional organizations while at the Lebanese University students must pay an annual registration fee of LL125,000 ($83) plus LL90,000 for membership of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). American-style universities follow the credit system whereby a student will be awarded his degree upon fulfillment of the required number of credits.
License for an institute of higher education
Only companies (Ashkass ma’naweyine) can establish universities. Organizations interested in this venture must be a legal group whose purpose is to advance higher education. Foreign corporations must be recognized as an institute of higher learning in their country of origin.
The license application is filed with the (diwan) of the Ministry of Higher Education and Culture.
► mba
Some higher education establishments, including AUB, will not accept MBA candidates without work experience. Companies that have structured programs for developing key staff may include schemes to pay a percentage of tuition costs for an MBA.
Among Lebanese universities offering MBA programs are USJ, AUB, LAU, NDU, and AUST. The programs offered are similar at all three universities but differ slightly when in entrance requirements, cost, and duration. Each one requires a BA or an equivalent degree from a recognized institution of higher learning, Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and a minimum of 600 on the English Entrance Test for application from institutions where English is not the language of instruction.
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