An institutional history of the physical education in the Lebanon

Abstract

With its wide range of communities, Lebanon is at the core of intertwined civilizations and cultures. Geopolitically, it is a fairly recent entity in the history of the Mediterranean. It was born in 1920 with the French protectorate. Physical education, as the whole educational system, has always reflected the fragility and tensions of the political and religious framework. Physical education has been a part of the curriculum since December 1^st 1924 (Resolution No. 2852) with an exclusively hygienic issue which is a common measure applied to all countries of the French empire. The latest P.E. curriculum in force dates back to May 8^th 1997 (Decree n° 10227). In this decree, sports are considered as the main object of physical education teaching. However, teaching is an act subservient to religious, political, social and economic factors. With almost a century of institutional existence, the Lebanese physical education is still struggling to forge a real identity and gain a place in the scholar system. In this paper we aim at examining the establishment and the development of physical education in Lebanon throughout the twentieth century by showing the gap between the political choices at a national level on the one hand and the deep-rooted regional problems on the other.

Keywords:

• Physical education
• Lebanon
• sport
• teaching
• history

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 “Députés d’Alger” addressed to the Minister General President of the Levant on January, 23^rd 1933 - Syria-Lebanon mandate -; 2^nd file; Public Instruction, box n°101, Diplomatic Archives Center from Nantes.

2 The 1924 text determines the framework of the practice but the latter is not provided with any operational structure – whether it is infrastructures or staff. In early days, the official discourses (1927) allude to provisions related to hygiene.

3 While the Ottomans were ruling the country, they displayed no intention to educate the people. Culture and education meant cultural openness and civilization. The Turkish authorities were willingly keeping the population in obscurantism and maintaining community divisions. This is openly declared in an order addressed to the head of the Public Instruction in Mount Lebanon: “The Ottoman Ministry of Education observes that education starts spreading worryingly among the different classes of the Lebanese and Syrian people. We cannot tolerate this state of affairs; neither can we accept this upsetting observation which – if true – plays against the Ottoman interest. Do anything you can to suppress that movement before it is too late” (Charro 1979, 163).

4 August, 24^th 1928, n° 2079 resolution from the High-Commissioner: it states the organization of the official French exam named “certificat d’études primaires” – Official Journal n°2193 – October, 24^th 1928.

5 The 1943 national pact is a non-written pact between the Maronites and the Sunnis. This agreement recognizes the Lebanese nation’s independence from all the Western states. The Sunnis grant the independence of Lebanon; in exchange, the Maronites recognize the Arabic nature of the Land of the Cedars. This pact ensures a religious-based power-sharing. The communities maintain legislative and judiciary autonomy in matters of personal status, which means for example that civil marriage does not exist. Some communities can accept the divorce and others cannot. This organization is also grounded in an underlying compromise.

6 Extract from the reform plan on the 1946 curricula which was presented by Philippe Takla – Education and Foreign Affairs minister – to Prime Minister Saadi Al Mounla on September, 30^th 1946.

7 Concept (or racial theory) used in totalitarian regimes, mostly German/Nazi and Russian/URSS ones (very much present in Lebanon). The Ottomans – the Nazi’s ally – have a legacy very much alive among the Muslim populations who, out of religious conviction, are opposed to Judaism. This is exacerbated by Israel’s geographical closeness. As for the Russians, the USSR has kept supporting and influencing some Lebanese parties to curb the post-war American hegemony in the area.

8 Appendix to decree n°6998; October 1^st 1946.

9 The decrees n° 6998, 6999 and 7001 dealing with the curricula and the decrees n°7002, 7003 and 7004 dealing with the organization of the examination.

10 “It is about having a compulsory medical examination and completing a psychological document. The exercises that are suggested are the following ones: walking exercises, jogging, jump, low crawl, climbing, balancing act, lifting, carrying, throwing, natural defense, swimming if it is possible. (Varying exercises and increasing their intensity according to the different levels). Entertainment games with a ball. Ball games (for boys). Athletics games. Corrective exercises. Physical ability tests.” Appendix to the n°6999 decree; October, 1^st 1946 and to the n° 7001 decree – October, 1^st 1946.

11 Law n°5 - December, 8^th 1953, stating the implementation of military training in educational institutes. Official Journal n°49; December, 9^th 1953.

12 Report of M. Maurice Herzog’s visit to Lebanon. This report was drafted by M. Jean de Garnier des Garets- chargé d’affaires France - and addressed to the minister of Foreign Affairs, on October, 23^rd 1959. “Fonds anciens d’archives” (Old archive material); box n°104, Diplomatic Archives Center from Nantes.

13 The 1968 n° 9100 decree – dealing with the curricula for the secondary cycle – states the repeal of the 1946 n°7001 decree - dealing with the curricula for the secondary cycle – and never mentions the text about the military training, that is the 1953 law n°5. Then, in 1970, the n°14057 decree is entitled: “the subject of P.E is back in the general teaching programs for the secondary cycle. This text alludes to the reshuffle of a few articles from the n° 9100 decree concerning the military training in particular but it nevertheless does not repeal the law n°5.(Besides, a law can only be abolished by another law and only decrees have been enacted so far).

14 Birth of the United Arab Republic, through the merging of Egypt and Syria on February, 1^st 1958.

15 Parliamentary debate. February, Friday, 18th 1955 session (bill n°8373 dealing with the funding for the sport venue).

16 The league of the Arab States is founded in 1945- its headquarters being in Cairo. The league devises a Pan-Arabic championship modeled on the Olympic Games and taking place every four years. The first version takes place in Alexandria; Egypt. Then in 1957 in Beirut, Lebanon. 1961: Casablanca, Morocco. 1965: Alexandria, Egypt…From 1954 on, a sport championship between schools is organized (decree n°3278 on December, 8th 1953 which states the organization of yearly sport tournaments between the different educational institutes). The Arab sport school tournament is managed – unofficially from 1955 and then officially from 1961 – by the Arab league and took on the name of first Pan-Arabic sport school championship. Lebanon is the pioneer of this sport event and hosts the first “unofficial” tournament in 1949. The country organizes the first version for the secondary schools; Syria and Egypt joined in. It is then followed by another one in Alexandria in 1951 and in Damascus in 1952 with the same countries participating. In 1954, the tournament was back in Lebanon with the participation of two additional countries: Jordan and Iraq.

17 Resolution n°847; November, 7^th 1962: it describes the organization in matters of sport education in the official schools; Official Journal n°47, November, 21^st 1962.

18 UNESCO; Conference with the minister of Education and the ministers for the economic plan in the Arab countries, Tripoli (Libya), March, 5^th-10^th 1966 – The regional cooperation for the development of education in the Arab States, Paris, February, 11^th 1966.

19 UNESCO; Meeting of pundits on the contents of the general teaching curricula – Moscow, January, 16^th-23^rd 1968 – The reform of the general education in French Sub-Saharan Africa and in Madagascar since 1960 –Paris, January, 8^th1968.

20 Chafik Mortada, Member of Parliament in Baalbek-Hermel, parliamentary debate, April, Thursday 21^st 1961 session.

21 Decree n°9100, January, 8^th 1968: it defines the curricula in the secondary cycle, Official Journal n°5, January, 15^th 1968.

22 Decree n°2151, November, 6^th 1971.

23 Article n°3 from the decree n°9099, January 8^th 1968.

24 Extract from the interview I conducted on July, 14^th 2011 at 10 a.m in Beirut. Nizar El Zein was a teacher at the “école normale”- 1968-1973, the director of the “école normale”- 1973-1974, the director of the Sports National Institute- 1974-2000, and the director of the sport department for the Ministry of Education, 2000–2006.

25 Article n°10 from the Constitution: “The education is free as long as it is not opposed to the public order and the right mores and it does not affect the dignity of the faiths. The right for communities to have their own schools shall not be trespassed, respecting the general provisions on public instructions which are enacted by the State.”