Higher education in Lebanon below international standards

 I read an article, in the daily star newspaper, few months ago was entitled “Higher education in Lebanon below international standards”. This article addressed the issue of Graduate and Doctoral-level studies at Lebanese Universities which are not up to international standards.

“It is unfortunate to say, but many universities in the country have become more like high schools and I don’t have much confidence in their competency,” said Ahmad Jamal. It is ultimately true, because I have a friend that she is working on her master degree in French now at the Lebanese University and at the same time am doing my mine at a private university. She asked me about the materials we cover during each semester and was surprised about the deep difference between even the materials itself. She was complaining about what they still take as materials such as poems, the history of France!!!! And comparing with ours nothing of them could be applied in any classroom, they just use abstract topics. Till now they didn't done any exam while the exam day was decided at the first of February and we are at the first of May now. Unfortunately, as Jammal added in his article that the ministry acknowledges and understands the insufficiencies of some programs of higher education, but prefers to give universities a chance to implement reform independent of government intervention. It is a dishonor and shame for us as Lebanese students to accept such kind of education and we should stage a sit because it the government’s role to set the curriculum of universities and to oblige each university branches to implement them. Otherwise, we will remain in this educational retardation.

   Finally a proper management should be suggested and implemented in order to strengthen the quality of the Lebanese universities and we don’t mean by them the private universities.