Over the past two decades, civil society has been considered a more plausible and promising route for bringing about change in a region dominated by stagnation and restricted political movement. The Arab Spring brought limited political change and failed to realise the aspiration of expanding democracy in the region. As a result, attention turned again to civil society with the hope that it can drive change and mitigate the impact of political stalemate and deteriorating economic and social conditions in many Arab countries.

Education is a sector where the number of civil society organisations (CSOs) has significantly increased over the past decades. Despite this growth, there is limited research on education reform in the MENA region, particularly concerning the role civil society plays in policy reform. This study investigates how civil society in Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine engages with education reform and change.