Improving schools for social justice in Lebanon

Abstract

In this article, the researchers discuss school improvement for social justice in Beirut, Lebanon. They introduce the Lebanese context: its schooling systems, the revised Lebanese National Curriculum, and the issues under investigation: socioeconomic, political, as well as inclusion/exclusion. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with school principals, sample teachers, and through group interviews with students of secondary classes from three different schools catering for students of various socioeconomic statuses. The instruments yielded qualitative data that were analyzed to address the research questions. Findings indicate differences among the three schools in elements of social justice and injustice. Data revealed school and teachers' practices causing students loss of self-esteem and lack of social cohesion, diminished access to the curriculum and inadequate preparation for higher education.