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The under-resourcing of the public education sector in Lebanon negatively impacts teachers’ labour rights, working conditions, wages, professional development, and well-being. These issues stem from systemic problems tied to Lebanon’s political and economic context.

The education sector in Lebanon is financed by the state, private actors, and foreign donors, but the public sector has been in decline since the Civil War (1975-1990) due to privatisation, namely the growth of public-private partnerships (PPPs), as well as sectarian interests, and economic and financial policies, including the implementation of hiring freezes, contract casualisation, austerity policies and reliance on foreign aid, causing a loss of qualified teachers and a decline of the perceived reliability of the public education system.

Since 2019, Lebanon’s education sector faces severe challenges due to the ongoing financial collapse, hyperinflation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beirut Blast in 2020 and most recently, the Israeli war. Public education teachers’ wages have plummeted, with salaries worth 1,000 USD now reduced to 100 USD due to the devaluation of the local currency.

The study “Teacher Remuneration During Emergencies: Just Wages for Public School Teachers in Lebanon” aims to provide evidence-based and up-to-date knowledge to understand the shortcomings of public education funding in Lebanon and the reforms required to address them, specifically in order to improve teacher salaries and conditions. The study uses a mixed-method approach for data collection, with data analysis conducted through thematic content analysis, incorporating semi-structured interviews and desk research.

This summary offers an overview of key findings and recommendations from the study.