Lebanese students carry outdated textbooks in their backpacks

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For over two decades, students in Lebanon have been carrying textbooks that are outdated and no longer meet their educational needs. These textbooks were were last updated by the Educational Center for Research and Development in 1997. At the time, the plan was to update the curriculum every three years, as is done in countries where education is a top priority. However, this plan was never implemented, due to the lack of vision among successive governments and political conflicts.

Experts agree that this failure has been the first nail in the coffin for the official educational sector in Lebanon. The educators who once had hope for the sector now believe that it is doomed if destructive policies continue to be pursued. In today's world, education encompasses a wide range of competencies, and the 1997 curriculum was based on a mixture of competencies and objectives. However, it is clear that the curriculum does not develop critical thinking or meet the needs of individuals, society, or the job market.

It is shocking to learn that a subject like technology and computer science was included in the 1997 curriculum, but was not specifically taught in public schools. As a result, some of the nearly 450,000 students in the public sector developed these skills through personal efforts. Meanwhile, private schools filled the gap left by public schools, thanks to their education policies that are up-to-date, although only partially.

Is it possible for an educational curriculum to exist without teaching students about the history of civilizations and peoples? Can geography be taught without updating its data in fields such as agriculture, industry, and tourism? In Lebanon, there has been disagreement over a unified history textbook, so the curriculum stops at the date of independence. The national education textbook teaches outdated concepts, rather than encouraging critical thinking among citizens.

While the framework for updating the curriculum has been established, and ten committees have been formed to lay out the broad outlines, work has not yet begun. It is uncertain whether these committees will suffer the same fate as their predecessors - years of contracts, benefits, and budgets, with the only constant being the unchanged 1997 curriculum.

Lebanese students deserve better, and it is high time for the government to take concrete steps towards updating the educational curriculum to meet the needs of the 21st century. The future of the country depends on it.