Education

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has assumed responsibility for organizing education for Palestinian refugees as one of its core mandates, as defined by the international resolution establishing the Agency. However, due to UNRWA’s limited capacity to fully meet the financial and operational requirements of this responsibility, Palestinian families increasingly resort to alternative educational options.

These options include enrollment in Lebanese public schools, fee-paying private institutions, or free private schools. Each option entails distinct financial, administrative, and social burdens. While some of these requirements can be metalbeit to a limited extent by Palestinian households, others compel families to rely on religious, civil society, or political institutions to cover educational costs and related expenses.

Parallel to UNRWA’s educational role, there is a notable absence of an effective Palestinian official authority responsible for overseeing, regulating, or participating in the education process, from early childhood education through higher education. UNRWA schools apply the curricula adopted by host countries, in accordance with UNESCO standards.

Accordingly, in Lebanon, UNRWA schools implement the official Lebanese curriculum, and their students sit for national examinations on the same basis as Lebanese students.

Lebanon does not have a law that explicitly defines the educational rights of refugee students. Regulation of access to education is therefore limited to administrative circulars issued annually by the Minister of Education and Higher Education during the school registration period at the beginning of each academic year.

The principal regulatory instrument in this field is Circular No. 25/ A/2014, dated 18 September 2014, addressed to principals of public schools (Cycles One, Two, and Three). This circular restricts the enrollment of non-Lebanese students to the level of basic education only, in accordance with the following order of priority:

• Non-Lebanese students (new and returning) born to Lebanese mothers;
• Stateless students of Lebanese origin, subject to approval by the Directorate General of Education based on referrals from the concerned schools and in accordance with administrative procedures;
• Non-Lebanese students (new and returning) whose parents hold valid residency permits issued by the General Security at the time of enrollment;
• Palestinian students residing in Lebanon for more than three years, whether new or returning, in cases where no UNRWA schools are available within the geographic area of their residence.

In parallel with this administrative framework, UNRWA plays a fundamental role in ensuring the right to education for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, through both basic and vocational education. Since 1961, the Agency has been engaged in vocational education and training through the establishment of the Siblin Vocational Training Centre in the Chouf region (Mount Lebanon). This was followed by the creation of a second vocational training center in northern Lebanon. Together, these institutions accommodate approximately 1,200 male and female students.

In recent years, UNRWA has intensified efforts to safeguard educational continuity amid Lebanon’s economic crisis by implementing programs focused on reducing school dropout rates, strengthening vocational education pathways, and providing psychosocial and educational support within schools. These initiatives reinforce the recognition of education as a fundamental and continuous right for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Furthermore, a number of educational funds and support initiatives contribute to expanding access to higher education for Palestinian students. Notable among these are the Palestinian Student Fund and the Mahmoud Abbas Fund, in addition to several Arab and international organizations that provide scholarships and educational assistance aimed at enabling Palestinian students to pursue university education.

To what extent does the educational system in Lebanon provide effective protection for the right to education of Palestinian refugees, in the absence of a comprehensive national policy explicitly regulating this right, and in light of reliance on multiple administrative and regulatory arrangements to ensure access to public and private education?

This issue raises challenges related to educational continuity, progression between educational stages, and access to higher education, in a manner consistent with international human rights standards.

Given that schools constitute one of the most important social institutions responsible for preparing, nurturing, and qualifying future generations, it was essential to highlight the role of the Lebanese state through the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in accompanying and facilitating the educational process for Palestinian students.

This approach aims to ensure that Palestinian students receive adequate education and are prepared to enter professional life with the capacity to contribute to the development of the Palestinian community in Lebanon. Society as a whole, and the Palestinian community in particular, are the primary beneficiaries of the success of this educational process.

In order to foster a well informed generation, fully aware of the educational, social, and national responsibilities entrusted to it including service to the Palestinian cause and the realization of the right of return the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee has identified the student as the central pillar of its educational planning.

Accordingly, it was necessary to address the questions raised by Palestinian students and their families, remove obstacles that may hinder the completion of their education in Lebanese institutions, and clarify the administrative procedures required of them. This approach also serves to clarify the role of the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education in strengthening the educational capacities of Palestinian students, based on clear information and accurate guidance.

These efforts culminated in the publication of the “Guide for Palestinian Students in Lebanese Educational Institutions,” issued by the LPDC and made available to Palestinian students and their families in March 2012.