Education Reform: Taif Accord

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Education Reform: Taif Accord

Implementations

Education Reform – 1989

No information available on education reform. The Taif accord stipulates the following: obligatory primary education; strengthening state control over private schools; the development of new curricula and the uniting of history and civics textbooks published by the Educational Center for Research and Development (ECRD), a governmental institute in charge of curriculum planning and development; and the writing of textbooks for the public sector.

Education Reform – 1990

No developments observed this year.

Education Reform – 1991

No developments observed this year.

Education Reform – 1992

The state of public education was deteriorating. About 75% of Lebanese families sent their children to private schools. To rein control over private schools, government prohibit the cost of educating a child from exceeding £Leb 500,000 annually. But many schools slapped a surcharge of £Leb100,000 on the school fees, which ended schooling for many children.[fn]”Peace comes to Lebanon but now poverty haunts it,” Manchester Guardian Weekly, May 24, 1992.[/efn_note] No further information available on other reforms related to education.

Education Reform – 1993

No developments observed this year.

Education Reform – 1994

According to Farayah, the Lebanese government developed the ‘Plan for Educational ReformÕ in 1994. “The plan included objectives such as: (a) the strengthening of national affiliation and social cohesion among students; and (b) providing the new generation with the basic knowledge, skills and expertise, with emphasis on national upbringing and authentic Lebanese values, such as liberty, democracy, tolerance and rejection of violence.”1 This plan’s initiatives, however, do not mean that the government actually carried out curriculum development as envisaged in the Taif accord.

  1. “Lebanon, Ministry of Education, 1994,” 8, in Nemer Frayah, “Curricular Change: Education and Social Cohesions in Lebanon,” Prospects 33, no. 1 (2003): 84.

Education Reform – 1995

No developments observed this year.

Education Reform – 1996

No developments observed this year.

Education Reform – 1997

According to Farayah (2003:86), “the adaptation of the Educational Reform Plan was followed by the development of new curricula. The foregoing objectives were stated in the curricula developed in 1997 and implemented in 1998. The social studies curriculum, in particular, has a number of detailed objectives concerning Lebanon’s identity as an Arab State, respect and acceptance of others, tolerance, value of personal freedom and human rights.”1

1998: The curricular change made in 1997 was implemented in 1998.2

1999: No further information available on education reform. It is difficult to assess the impact of educational reform as the curricular change was implemented only in 1998.

  1. Ibid.
  2. Ibid.