Public education in Lebanon: Facts and figures 

Distributed over 1,256 schools, Lebanon’s public school students number 328,040 (of whom 264,364 are Lebanese), representing 30.7% of the total number of students in pre-university public education.

As for the teachers, they total 43,532, including 20,908 full-time teachers, 20,739 part-time teachers, and 885 volunteers (those who teach religion), i.e. there is one teacher per 7.5 students.

In public schools, there are:

-4,357 childless teachers.

- 4,322 teachers with one child.

-17,940 teachers with 2-3 children.

-5,465 teachers with 4-5 children.

-670 teachers with 6 children or more.

Their cost amounts to LBP 1,106 billion (USD 733 million), distributed as follows:

-Primary education: LBP 720 billion (USD 477 million).

-Secondary education: LBP 386 billion (USD 256 million).

Teachers’ salary varies according to their grade and years of service, ranging between LBP 1.250 million (USD 833) and LBP 5.245 million (USD 3,496) a month. They also receive scholarships for their children (like other state employees), ranging between LBP 2.040 million (USD 1,360) and LBP 3.430 million (USD 2,287) in private schools and totaling around LBP 80 billion (USD 53 million) a year.

Reforming public schools should begin with the teacher, the director, and the educational programs. If the teachers do not receive scholarships to enroll their children in private schools, they will perhaps be more active and productive.