Vianney Basse (E97): “The Lebanese Education System Is Facing Collapse”

Vianney Basse (E97) is director of operations and delegate for the IECD (European Institute for Cooperation and Development) in Lebanon, in the fields of education and vocational training. Here, he tells us about his battle to prevent the collapse of the country’s education system. 

ESSEC Alumni: What consequences does the Lebanese crisis have for access to education and training? 

Vianney Basse: Even before the pandemic, the Lebanese revolution on 17 October 2019 disrupted the entire 2019-2020 academic year, with only eight weeks spent in class because of roadblocks, demonstrations, and government closures for security reasons. And then COVID did nothing to help the situation. Schools only reopened in December 2020, before closing once again when the country went into a full lockdown in January and February 2021. This was followed by a gradual reopening, with it being the end of May before things returned to normal. That means that Lebanese children and young people spent a total of two years at home – where they faced major issues with access to computers, internet connections, and even an electricity supply. Not to mention those who were forced to find a job due to the deteriorating financial situation of their households.

EA: What was the impact on the quality of teaching and course continuity? 

V. Basse: Most of the teachers and students have still not mastered remote learning tools, all the more so given that the chosen platforms are sometimes unsuitable due to low internet speeds. In parallel, a lot of teachers were forced to leave the country or take a second job after failing to win an adjustment of their salaries in the face of plummeting spending power (estimated at 90%) following the devaluation of the Lebanese pound. A number of schools were at risk of closure, be they public schools (due to cuts in national budgets) or private schools (due to a shortage of families able to afford school fees). Vocational training was also severely affected, with a distinct lack of work experience and the cancellation of many internships and apprenticeships.

EA: What action did the IECD take when faced with this situation? 

V. Basse: The IECD operates in the fields of education, vocational training, access to work, and entrepreneurship. We manage over 40 projects in more than 15 developing countries across Africa, the Mediterranean, Madagascar, and South East Asia. With a long-standing presence in Lebanon, we needed to step outside our usual scope of action to try and prevent the system’s collapse: support for online learning (support for headmasters, teacher training, adaptation of content and resources, the delivery of computers and pay as you go cards for internet access), and support for schools destroyed in the explosion (help rebuilding, donations of equipment and stationery, psychological support) as well as their pupils (nutritional supplements, delivery of food baskets). A whole range of initiatives that we are planning to consolidate this year, given that the crisis is still deepening.

EA: Beyond the work the IECD can do, what measures do you think are needed to remedy the education and training crisis in Lebanon?

V. Basse: There’s the lack of infrastructure and equipment (including digital equipment) and low pay, as well as the severely dated curriculum, gaps in teacher training, disorganised subjects, and a disconnect between what is taught and the needs of businesses and the jobs market... The problems are structural, and while some are recent, others are the result of many years of failings and a lack of action. In terms of vocational training, in particular, I think they need to improve the guidance systems in place, focus on soft skills, and offer short courses in fields where there are pressing needs for skills, like green energy (to develop them as an alternative to the fuel oil crisis) and agriculture and industry (to free Lebanon from its dependence on imports). It remains to be seen whether the political obstacles to these reforms can be removed.

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni 

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