Diminished trust in public education in crisis-hit Lebanon is worsening inequality in the country and forcing parents to make difficult decisions, a new study warns.
The country's dual education system, reinforced by religious and political policies, continues to favour the upper classes, exacerbating educational disparities between social groups.
Lebanon's sectarian government and weak state has led parents to perceive the academic and non-academic outcomes of most private schools as better than those of public schools.
Many said this perception has intensified recently due to declining government funding, exacerbated by the compounded crises. This has led to shorter school days with two brief shifts to accommodate refugees. As a result, curricula are rushed, student support and activities are lacking, and infrastructure problems persist.
The economic crisis has had a further impact on the low salaries of public-school teachers, who continue to be paid in LBP despite the dramatic depreciation of the currency – barely enough to cover transportation costs for many.
Tamara Al Khalili, from the University of Exeter, interviewed 30 parents of school-aged children. They showed widespread parental preference for private, fee-paying schools as opposed to public schools that are free at the point of entry. However, the ability of parents to choose private institutions has been exacerbated by the recent crises.
Parents who were previously part of the middle class are strategically moving their children between private and public schools and making compromises based on factors such as the perceived importance of the educational stage and the child's perceived academic abilities. Some had prioritised the education of one child over others.
Families favour private schools for high-achieving children while sending children with lower levels of academic performance and children with disabilities or specific educational needs, to public schools.
Dr Al Khalili said: "This research raises important questions about equitable access to quality education and calls for urgent interventions to address growing inequalities. It stresses the need for systemic reforms, including increased funding for public education and policies that reduce reliance on private schooling. Such reforms could mitigate economic and social class discrimination, and the stigma associated with public schools."
Among the 30 participants, 15 parents chose private schools and seven of them receive financial assistance through educational vouchers or educational allowances, 12 parents opted for public schools, while three have children enrolled in both types of schools.
Some parents said school fees were justifiable, and others advocated for reductions due to prolonged closures. They managed the high costs by adopting strategies such as shifting to less expensive fee-paying private schools that offer less services and extracurricular activities. This commitment was driven by a desire to maintain their social status, protect their habitus, and secure their children's future opportunities.
Ten of the parents interviewed were middle class and were experiencing downward social mobility due to the unprecedented crises. They represent the "new poor Lebanese" emerging in the wake of the crises, struggling to maintain their class habitus, and worrying about the negative impact of sending their children to neglected public schools.
Dr Al Khalili said: "Parents are using whatever capital they have left to maintain connections with the middle class. To achieve this, they strategically transition their children between fee-paying private schools, semi-free private schools, and public schools at different points often with the support of private afterschool tutoring services, which are widely promoted in the education market to boost performance."
