HIGH MARKS
Proportional to its population, Lebanon has taken in significantly more Syrian refugees than any other country. With the country now facing the problem of placing the tens of thousands of Syrian children in school, international donors and local and foreign organizations are making educational support a priority.
With the Syrian conflict entering its fifth year, conditions have only worsened for the millions of refugees affected by the conflict. According to the UNHCR, the vicious spiral of violence in Syria has forced 4.8 million people out of their homeland to seek refuge in neighboring countries, with some embarking on life-threatening journeys to Europe. In Lebanon alone, the number of registered refugees stands at 1,033,513 as of June 2016, although non-official figures cite a number twice as high. More than half of registered Syrian refugees are under 18.
Estimates suggest some 2.4 million school-age displaced Syrian children have not attended school since the conflict erupted. In Lebanon, out of the 487,000 refugees aged three to 18, only 151,000 are enrolled in formal primary or secondary education. The clear vulnerability these refugees face has mobilized international organizations and NGOs in host countries to work to avoid a lost generation. Lebanon has not been the exception, and the country is launching different initiatives aimed at enrolling these children in school.
The Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP), a joint program by the Lebanese government and the UN aimed at maintaining Lebanon's stability amid the Syrian refugee crisis, will make education a priority in line with a USD2.1 billion assistance plan for Syrian and Palestinian refugees, as well as for the thousands of Lebanese impoverished due to the crisis. The plan calls for additional funds for the 700 Lebanese public schools that are currently overpopulated and will enhance the implementation of the Reaching All Children with Education (RACE) program, which commits to granting vulnerable school-age children access to education through formal and informal systems; RACE hopes to enroll 400,000 Syrian children by the end of 2016. In February 2016, the Lebanese government also committed to granting all Syrian refugee children an education by 2021 through the RACE II strategy.
The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) has also structured plans of action alongside UNESCO to foster better teaching methods, create a stronger communication network within the education system, and encourage the private sector and NGOs to collaborate in strengthening the local education system. MEHE also launched a support program targeting some 20,000 Syrian students at risk of dropping out of school, and it has doubled the number of hosting schools for Syrian children, contributing to reducing the number of not-in-school children from 78% in 2014 to 49% at the beginning of 2016.
UN agencies have also played an important role, supervising and assisting the government's plans at every step. UNESCO launched its Bridging Learning Gaps for the Youth initiative to bring quality to the education granted to refugees, establish even conditions for primary, secondary, and tertiary school students, and empower the education systems in the four countries where this program is being held: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. The program has allocated an initial budget of USD17 million for the application of this program in Lebanon. Additionally, UNICEF has launched an effort to raise funds across the international community to meet the requirements for a sustainable education system. It has also promoted the practice of non-formal learning to help the thousands of child laborers in the country access education and to help those who dropped out school reenroll.
The initiatives to battle a lost generation of Syrian children have placed Lebanon against yet another challenge in its already troubled economic and political situation. Despite all the efforts coming from the public and private sectors, NGOs, and international organizations, an estimated USD350 million is needed annually to cover the schooling needs for Syrian refugee children in the country. Out of the five countries in the Middle East that have taken in the largest amount of Syrian refugees, Lebanon holds the highest percentage of school-age children out of school (80%), against 45% in Jordan, 47% in Egypt, 63% in Turkey, and 66% in Iraq. It is in the hands of the international donor community to guarantee that this situation will not further hinder the life prospects of hundreds of thousands refugee children.
HIGH MARKS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Lebanese-French Relations
Let’s be Franc
Lebanon shares a close relationship with its former colonizer, both in terms of economic relations and cultural identity among Lebanese. In spite of hardships like the presidential power vacuum and Syrian war next door, the bond is only getting stronger.
read articleFocus: Tripoli Economic Free Zone
The Tripoli Transformation
The Tripoli Special Economic Zone (TSEZ) is one of most ambitious projects in Lebanon at the moment. With an initial cost of USD27 million, it is meant to provide an alternative to the heavily centralized economic activity in Beirut, a new gateway for investments and trade to settle in northern Lebanon, and will transform the image of a long-neglected region.
read articleInterview
Dr. Freddie Baz, Vice Chairman & Group Strategy Director, Bank Audi
TBY talks to Dr. Freddie Baz, Vice Chairman & Group Strategy Director of Bank Audi, on the bank's increase in profits, dealing with currency devaluation, and working to turn the economy into an export-driven one.
read articleReview: Insurance
Life is a Rollercoaster
Unlike many emerging markets, Lebanon enjoys a relatively high insurance penetration rate and strong life segment, buoyed by compulsory lines and bancassurance. Competition remains fierce, however, and reform aimed at encouraging consolidation looks far off.
read articleInterview
Max R. Zaccar, Chairman of Commercial Insurance & President of the Association, Insurance Companies
TBY talks to Max R. Zaccar, Chairman of Commercial Insurance & President of the Association of Insurance Companies, on the resilience of the sector, increasing the already-high penetration rates in the country, and remaining one of the strongest insurance companies in the region.
read articleInterview
HE Arthur Nazarian, Minister, Energy and Water Resources
TBY talks to HE Arthur Nazarian, Minister of Energy and Water Resources, on the potential offshoots from oil and gas explorations, the country's National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, and attempts to increase renewable energy consumption.
read articleInterview
Wissam Zahabi, Chairman, Board of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA),
TBY talks to Wissam Zahabi, Chairman of the Board of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA), on making the investment climate attractive for foreign companies and becoming self-sufficient in energy.
read articleFocus: Sovereign Wealth Funds
Gas Pipe Dreams
Despite excitement over exploration of Lebanon's hydrocarbons, the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, which was included in legislation, has yet to take place. The country faces several obstacles in its path to creating and properly managing a fund.
read articleInterview
Pierre El Khoury, General Director, Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC)
TBY talks to Pierre El Khoury, General Director of the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC), on the development of energy efficiency in Lebanon, awareness of energy conservation, and the country's 2020 renewable energy goals.
read articleInterview
Dr. Fady Gemayel, President, Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI)
TBY talks to Dr. Fady Gemayel, President of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI), on the group's work to promote industrialists, new developments in terms of industrial cities, and the future of industry in the country.
read articleFocus: Industrial Cities
Industrial Solution
Domestic and regional events have stifled Lebanon in building a strong national industry to protect and sustain its economy. Four proposed industrial zones throughout the country may provide it with the economic backbone it so desperately needs.
read articleInterview
Marianne Hoayek, Director of the Executive Office, Banque du Liban
TBY talks to Marianne Hoayek, Director of the Executive Office of Banque du Liban, on the roots of the Circular 331 concept, bridging funding gaps throughout the startup lifecycle, and the country's growing knowledge economy.
read articleRoundtable
Thinking It Through
On June 12, TBY and the American-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) organized a roundtable titled “Startup ecosystem sustainability: fostering cooperation to drive entrepreneurship." The participants discussed the impact of Circular 331, an initiative by Bank du Liban, the Lebanese central bank, to inject a potential of USD400 million into the local enterprise market and guarantee 75% of banks' investments in startups and startup support.
read articleFocus: Infrastructure for the startup ecosystem
The New Star
Startups are ubiquitous in Lebanon despite the difficulty of starting a business and the lack of services available to new businesses. However, a number of actors, both public and private, are innovating the environment and allowing startups to fulfill a greater role in the country's economy.
read articleFocus: Maritime Exports Bridge
Bridging The Gap
The conflict in Syria has wrought serious damage on the Lebanese economy, effectively closing off the country's trade routes through Syria. However, a new program geared at balancing the price disparities between land and sea transit is poised to help Lebanese industries.
read articleFocus: Real Estate
A Stimulus For The Rest Of Us
The real estate market in Lebanon is nothing like it used to be. The sector has slowed considerably, and demand has shifted from the traditional center, Beirut. However, stimulus packages from the central bank over the years have proven beneficial for all parties involved.
read articleInterview
Armand Pahrés, President, Lebanese Pharmaceutical Importers Association (LPIA)
TBY talks to Armand Pahrés, President of the Lebanese Pharmaceutical Importers Association (LPIA), on the development of legislation in the sector, boosting further innovation, and opportunities for Lebanon to become more self-sufficient in pharmaceuticals.
read articleFocus: Incentives for pharmaceuticals in Lebanon
Pharma Land
Lebanon has always been the region's leader in all things health related. Its pharmaceutical industry is no exception, and the country's incentives for international pharma companies to operate, manufacture, and distribute in Lebanon are only getting stronger.
read articleInterview
HE Elias Bou Saab, Minister, Education and Higher Education
TBY talks to HE Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education and Higher Education, on the ministry's initiatives to improve the education system, ensuring access to education for Syrian refugee children, and reversing the brain drain in the country.
read articleInterview
Mohamed Harajli, Provost, American University of Beirut (AUB)
TBY talks to Mohamed Harajli, Provost of the American University of Beirut (AUB), on his upcoming plans for the university, the key role played by the AUB alumni, and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit among students.
read articleFocus: Programs to school Syrian refugee children
High Marks
Proportional to its population, Lebanon has taken in significantly more Syrian refugees than any other country. With the country now facing the problem of placing the tens of thousands of Syrian children in school, international donors and local and foreign organizations are making educational support a priority.
read articleInterview
Joseph G. Jabbra, President, Lebanese American University (LAU)
TBY talks to Joseph G. Jabbra, President of the Lebanese American University (LAU), on embracing technology at the university, the challenges of Lebanon's brain drain, and the importance of having international links with other institutions.
read article