Study in Lebanon - Educational System

General Information

The Lebanese, along with the Palestinians, had one of the highest literacy rates in the Arab world. The rate was estimated at nearly to 80 percent in the mid-1980s, but like most other spheres of Lebanese life, communal and regional disparities existed. In general, Christians had a literacy rate twice that of Muslims. Druzes followed with a literacy rate just above that of Sunnis. Shias had the lowest literacy rate among the religious communities.

The war adversely affected educational standards. Many private and public school buildings were occupied by displaced families and the state was unable to conduct official examinations on several occasions because of intense fighting. Furthermore, the departure of most foreign teachers and professors, especially after 1984, contributed to the decline in the standards of academic institutions. Admissions of unqualified students became a standard practice as a result of pressures brought by various militias on academic institutions. More important, armed students reportedly often intimidated - and even killed - faculty members over disputes demanding undeserved higher grades.

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Lebanon Education System

Duration of compulsory education:
Age of entry: 6
Age of exit: 11

Structure of school system:
Primary
Length of program in years: 6
Age level from: 6 to: 12

Complementary
Length of program in years: 3
Age level from: 12 to: 15
Certificate/diploma awarded: Brevet, Certificat d'Aptitude professionnelle (CAP)

Secondary
Length of program in years: 3
Age level from: 15 to: 18
Certificate/diploma awarded: Baccalauréat Libanais

Technical
Length of program in years: 3
Age level from: 15 to: 18
Certificate/diploma awarded: Baccalauréat Techique

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Secondary Education

This consisted of grades eleven through thirteen for academic programs, or years one through three for vocational programs. Three tracks were available at this level. The secondary normal track consisted of three-year training programs for prospective primary and intermediate school teachers. A teaching diploma was awarded to normal school students who passed examinations at the end of the twelfth school year. The secondary vocational track prepared students for careers in such fields as business, commerce, tourism, hotel management, electronics, construction, advertising, nursing, telecommunications, automobile mechanics, and laboratory technology. Finally, the secondary academic track offered concentrations in philosophy (liberal arts curriculum), mathematics, and experimental sciences. The Baccalaureate I certificate was awarded to students who passed the official examination given at the end of the twelfth school year, and the Baccalaureate II was awarded to students who passed official examinations at the end of the thirteenth school year. The Baccalaureate II was necessary for admission to institutions of higher education in Lebanon. Many of the courses taken during the year were comparable to those at the college freshman level.

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Higher Education

Higher education in Lebanon is provided by Colleges and Universities. Only two of them are Public Institutions: the Lebanese University and the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts. Both the private and public sector are administrated by the Ministry of Culture and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Technical and Vocational Education. Admission to higher education Institutions is based on the Baccalauréat Libanais. The Université Haikaizan, the Université Antonine, the Université Islamique de Beyrouth and the Université Islamique du Liban, as well as the Ecole supérieure des Affaires, the Institut Universitaire de Tripoli pour les Etudes Islamiques and the Institut Universitaire de Technologie, Tripoli, were founded in 1996.

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Foreign Students Admission

Admission requirements: Foreign students are admitted to universities under the same conditions as Lebanese students, provided they hold a qualification equivalent to the Lebanese Baccalaureat Part II (High School or Secondary School Leaving Certificate) obtained at the end of 12 years of formal education.
The equivalence application procedure starts at the closest Lebanese embassy. Then the application is sent to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education in Lebanon where it gets the final recognition. This is when the foreign students may start the registration procedures in the selected university.

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Children with special needs

As the parent of a child who is suspected to need or identified as needing special education, you have certain rights which are guaranteed by state and federal law. These rights are listed here. If you would like a full explanation of them, please contact your local school system's supervisor of special education or local Tennessee Department of Education district office listed below.

Both you and your local education agency (LEA) share in the education of your child. The term LEA means any school program conducted by a private or public agency and approved by the State Department of Education. If you or the school have concerns about the education of your child, you and your child's teacher should hold open discussions about the issues prior to the concerns becoming a problem.

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