Lebanon illiteracy report shows alarming urban-rural divide

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Adult literacy (measured among those above 15 years of age) is highest in Beirut, where only 6.1 percent of the population cannot read by adulthood. In Nabetieh, by contrast, the illiteracy rate reaches 16.7 percent. The rate rises even higher in the Bekaa, reaching 16.8 percent.

The NHDR, using data compiled from a variety of investigations, emphasizes the need to close this educational gap and demonstrates the strong links between poor education and poverty.

Maha Nahya, Project Director of the NHDR, who wrote the section related to literacy levels in the report, offered her opinion on the discrepancy.

"There is a direct correlation between poverty and illiteracy. The poorer you are the more likely you are to drag your children out of school," she told The Daily Star.

She said that many children could not recognize the importance of going to school. "Some don't see the value added in education. Many drop out and decide to work so they can at least earn some money."

Paul Salem, of the Carnegie Middle East Institute, was on the report's advisory board. He said that there were general literacy issues that needed to - and could conceivably - be addressed by the new government.

"Certainly there are two variables with this issue. One is the security situation which is disruptive to family life and the ability to have a relationship with a school and go there," he said.

"In addition, it's known that in the outlying regions government services including education are still catching up. [The situation] is better now but there were certainly a number of districts were government officials haven't caught up with the need."

The report also reveals the existing gulf between gender literacy rates, with Lebanese females still lagging behind males in their ability to read.

Anita Nassar, Assistant Director of the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW) at Lebanese American UniversityLebanese American University, said that work was still required to ensure true gender equality in education.

She said that it was initially hard for the IWSAW to persuade many families that women needed to be literate as part of Lebanon's development.

"We are still in a patriarchal society where people think it's more important for boys to be educated than girls, but this is changing," she said.

"We have worked with parents and families, teaching about the importance of sending their women to school. Bit by bit we are finally making some progress," she added.

One sign of advancing gender equality is the fact that more women than men are currently signing up for education, with the female enrolment rate outstripping male for the first time in Lebanon.

According to the report, "female adult literacy levels have also increased considerably in the past years especially in younger age brackets and have led to gender parity in enrolment.

"Education is the base for the betterment of a woman and her family," said Nassar.

Salem said that while education in schools is improving in Lebanon, more needed to be done to address the illiteracy of previous generations whose studies were interrupted by years of conflict.

"Lebanon prides itself on its high cultural output and that remains very true. Unfortunately that doesn't match up with the kind of welfare state approach to stamp out illiteracy.

"The Lebanese state has never tackled adult illiteracy as a major objective. This remains very much linked to poverty and should be a major national goal," he added.

The NHDR highlights "the need to improve the functional literacy levels of Lebanese youth and building up their ability to compete in today's economy."

The report also outlines a number of recommendations to continue literacy growth across all demographics.

"Concerted national efforts are required to improve the level of human development in the North Lebanon, Bekaa and South Lebanon governorates particularly in terms of income generating activities from the North and improvements in literacy levels in the Bekaa and Nabatieh regions," it says.

"Even with low-income growth levels, attention to education can reap tremendous benefits for the overall human development of the country."