Amidst minimal schools’ and teachers’ resources and unprepared students, the non-existent Ministry of Education and Higher Education insists to carry out the end of year official examination across Lebanon. This news broadcast references the Centre for Lebanese Studies’ report on the impact of Covid-19 and the economic crisis in Lebanon on students’ learning and their readiness for official examination.
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Lebanon, a country plagued by conflict, corruption, and long-standing inequalities, had to brace itself in the face of a new pandemic that hit the globe. In some way, the pandemic could not have come at a worse time when the financial and economic sector collapsed, ushering devastating inflation and devaluation of the Lebanese Lira against the US dollar. As the country was experiencing another lengthy lockdown introduced to help control the infection rates, a devastating explosion in Beirut killed 200 people and injured over 6000. The destruction and damage caused by the blast reached over 10 kilometers. These compounding crises have had a severe impact on the whole population and, in particular, the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. The effect of the weak infrastructure of the system hit many sectors, but in particular, the educational system leaving many children without any access to school.
This report examines the impact of COVID 19 on access and quality of education for children in Lebanon. The study comprised an online survey administered to students and teachers through survey monkey. We targeted potential respondents in all governorates of Lebanon. A total number of 916 participants completed the survey, including 582 students and 334 teachers. Concerning the respondents’ nationality, almost two-thirds of the students are Lebanese, while one-third are refugees, with most refugees being Syrians. The findings cover four main themes: the socioeconomic impact on students and teachers, access to education, the quality of education, and readiness for taking the official exams.