(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — United States Ambassador David Hale announced a $41.2 million to Lebanese public schools on Nov.5, which will be used to launch the “Improved Basic Education Services Program (IBESP)” in the country.
Hale and Lebanese Minister of Education Elias Bou Saab announced the contribution at the Daroun Mixed Intermediate Public School in Keserwan, which has been renovated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Hale says USAID will provide the funding for this new project, which will reportedly “(strengthen) classroom instruction, community engagement, and 
education management.”
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, nearly two-thirds of students in Lebanon attend private school, which creates a “quality gap” between citizens who can’t afford private school tuition.
The new U.S.-funded program seeks to “close the gap” by focusing on three specific tasks, including an emphasis on “reading skills,” providing “expanded” access for vulnerable children, and “managing education monitoring” systems in public classrooms.
“Over the past 10 years, America has invested more than $150 million in education to help this latest generation of Lebanese,” Hale said. “These initiatives are a testament to our joint belief in education, our cooperative and enduring relationship, and the resilience of your commitment to education in the face of political, economic, and security challenges.”
IBESP will reportedly be implemented by World Learning in partnership with Management Systems International, Ana Aqra’, and AMIDEAST. USAID will work closely with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Center for Educational Research and Development to ensure progress is “institutionalized” and “sustainable,” according to the National News Agency.
“We believe that Lebanese children will excel even more when they are better prepared with the basics, like reading, when they see their school as a sanctuary for learning, and when their communities actively participate in the process,” Hale said.