Beirut, Lebanon (Enmaeya News) — In a major step into modernizing public education, nearly 500 teachers from 12 public schools took part in a series of International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) training workshops held on Wednesday and Thursday, as Lebanon moves to integrate internationally recognized learning frameworks into its public education system.
These workshops were delivered by 20 certified IB trainers and prepared educators for full implementation of the PYP in the 2024–2025 academic year. The training focused on key PYP pillars such as language development, assessment strategies, the Programme of Inquiry (POI), and leadership within a student-centered curriculum.
The initiative stems from a groundbreaking memorandum of understanding signed in August 2023 by the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development, and the IB Organization.
It established PYP candidacy status for 12 public schools across the country and began assigning IB consultants to support each school through authorization.
Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Rima Karami participated in the event and has expressed strong support for integrating the International Baccalaureate—a globally recognized standard of educational excellence—into Lebanon’s public school system.
She described the initiative as a pivotal milestone for raising education quality and ensuring equitable access to international curricula, and praised the IB Organization for its collaborative, context-sensitive approach, noting their understanding of Lebanon’s unique educational environment and challenges has been crucial in effectively adapting the program to public schools.
Her Excellency Bahia Hariri, president of the Hariri Foundation, also addressed the educators, expressing gratitude for the Education Ministry’s commitment and highlighting the collective nature of the initiative.
“We deeply value the ministry’s vision and support — their belief in this initiative gives it both legitimacy and strength,” she told attendees.
She commended the participating teachers, calling them the true drivers of transformation within the public school system.
“To the educators and school teams, your professionalism, commitment and openness to growth are the true drivers of success of this initiative. You are the agents of change. You are the hope of your students.”
Mrs. Hariri emphasized that the project goes beyond curriculum reform. It is rooted in equity and the right to meaningful, future-ready learning.
“As you know, progress is only possible through unity,” she said. “This journey is proof that when institutions, educators and communities work together, transformational change is possible. This project is not about changing a curriculum, a strategy or a textbook. It’s about equity. It’s about the right to education — and not just any education, but a meaningful, future-ready one.”
Mary Tadros, Regional Manager for the IB Organization, also joined the event virtually and delivered remarks via Zoom. She praised the initiative and extended her appreciation to the Hariri Foundation, Mrs. Bahia Al Hariri, and Minister Karami for their leadership and commitment. Tadros described the partnership as a model for collaborative, impactful education reform in the Arab world.
This training series builds on earlier professional development efforts and represents a significant step toward implementing IB education in Lebanon’s public school system. The selected schools remain in candidacy status and continue receiving support to pursue full IB authorization.
Lebanon is the first Arab country to pilot the IB PYP within its public schools, a move aimed at democratizing access to inquiry-based, globally minded education in the public sector.
