The standardized history textbook for Lebanon impact of politics on education. (c2006)

Abstract

The adoption of the Taif Agreement in 1990 drew the end of a fifteen year period of civil war in Lebanon. This agreement (officially, the Document of National Accord) has introduced various modifications in all sectors; legislative, political, economic, and even in teaching and education. Among the educational reforms, the Taif agreement called for publishing a standardized version of history textbooks for the entire Lebanese state. The rationale behind this proposal is to develop a unified outlook toward national history since the Lebanese society is assembled in a pluralistic manner. In this sense, it is formed of diverse religious groups differing in their views of national, political, and societal affairs. This matter of publishing a standardized history textbook, however, has not been achieved yet. The purpose of the present study is to examine the drawbacks, behind the failure of this project and determine the factors that have prevented the committee in charge of writing the history textbook from getting it published. The study examines the process of forming the committees that were entitled to set the objectives for a standardized version of the history textbook and analyzed the aspects that impeded the committees from meeting their goal. The study examines further the content of the proposed curriculum for history and assesses it from both the educational and political perspectives.