Lebanon’s Education Crisis: Pre-existing Challenges Before the Escalation of Israeli Aggressions

This policy brief provides an overview of the educational sector in Lebanon immediately prior to the escalation of Israel’s aggression in the autumn of 2024. Establishing a baseline for the conditions in the sector is essential for assessing the expected significant impacts on education in Lebanon. By evaluating the educational landscape just before the escalation of Israel’s aggression, this brief will help in formulating strategic and targeted interventions in educational policy and practice for both the immediate crisis and its protracted impacts while also considering the pre-existing challenges in Lebanon’s education sector.

The policy brief outlines necessary actions for educational recovery and strategies to prevent further school disruptions in light of recent events. The challenges outlined are primarily based on insights from two online surveys conducted by the Centre for Lebanese Studies between June and August 2024. The first survey targeted 406 grade 12 students, with 48% attending private schools and 52% attending public schools, spanning all eight Lebanese governorates. The second survey targeted 2,075 parents from across all eight Lebanese governorates, encompassing a diverse range of educational levels: 9% with children in preschool, 47% in primary school, 28% in middle school, and 16% in high school. Together the findings from both surveys offer a comprehensive view of the issues from both student and parental perspectives. They reveal the extensive impact on education of prolonged disruptions and financial hardships, compounded by ongoing Israeli aggression, all of which are threatening the future of education in Lebanon and are expected to increase significantly.