Educational assessment in Lebanon

Abstract

The Lebanese government education system is based on the French, but private education historically has a high profile at both the school and tertiary levels where an American influence is profound. The mid-secondary Brevet examination continues to function as a filtering and channelling mechanism (in the latter instance, into the parallel technical-vocational education sector). Despite its intended functions with respect to aligning upper secondary with tertiary education, the status of the Lebanese Baccalauréat has been eroded both by internal factors (including widespread examination malpractice) and by external influences (particularly foreign tests, including the SAT).

Keywords:

• Lebanon
• Baccalauréat
• Brevet
• university entrance

Notes

1. The last population census was in 1932. There are also some 400,000 Palestinian refugees.

2. The Ministry has at various times been conjoined with other ministerial entities including Arts, Youth Affairs and Culture; currently it is the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

3. ‘Baccalauréat’ is used as a generic term to denote qualifications directly derived from the French system, cf. the anglicised ‘Baccalaureate’ for qualifications that are not consistent with official French policy (see http://www.ciep.fr/en/oib/index.php). The Lebanese Baccalauréat may be accepted as an admission qualification by French universities at their discretion (pers. comm., French Ministry of Education).

4. ‘Bac 1’ involved external examinations at the end of Year 11 which determined student progression into Year 12.

5. These certificates are issued in Arabic. Strictly speaking, the French names for the examinations have become redundant but they remain ubiquitous in common usage. Also still commonly heard is the term ‘Terminale’ for the ‘Bac’, although this word is a vestige of the ‘Bac 1’/’Bac 2’ era.

6. The ‘freshman’ year also serves students from other countries in the region such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia who come to Lebanon to study at the elite universities. Entrants with the IB or other qualifications such as the A-Levels may be required to take one or more courses at the ‘freshman’ level in designated subjects depending on their chosen university programme.