Table 52 above shows that 32.8
percent of households (and 33 percent of individuals) fall below the
threshold defined for the index of satisfaction of the education need.
This level of satisfaction is lower than that for the housing index
(25.9 percent of households and 33.7 percent of individuals), and that
for water and sewerage (15.5 percent of households and 16.7 percent of
individuals). It is, however, better than in the case of the
income-related indicators (42.8 percent of households and 46.8 percent
of individuals).
The distribution based on the education index is characterized by the
convergence of the degrees of satisfaction based on the 3-level
classification, with each category representing about one-third of the
population. It can also be noted (Table 53) that, in general, and unlike
the other fields, the cases falling at the two ends of the distribution
are relatively more important. Households having a very low degree of
satisfaction account for 16.6 percent (12.4 percent of individuals), and
those with a very high degree of satisfaction constitute 17.1 percent
(16 percent of individuals).
|
Table
53. Relative importance of the very low and very high degrees of
satisfaction in the four fields
(Percent of households and individuals) |
| Field
|
Very
Low |
Very
high |
| Households |
Individuals |
Households |
Individuals |
| Housing |
14.5 |
10.1 |
12.7 |
17.3 |
| Water and sewerage |
10.9 |
10.0 |
8.1 |
8.4 |
| Education |
12.4 |
16.6 |
16.0 |
17.1 |
| Income-related indicators
|
19.4 |
19.4 |
6.9 |
8.5 |
| Living conditions index |
6.82 |
7.09 |
3.3 |
4.5 |
|
The high percentage for the very
low degree of satisfaction reflects the importance of cases of not being
enrolled at a school, illiteracy or ability to read and write only;
whereas the high percentage for the very high degree of satisfaction
reflects the importance of cases with secondary and university
education. This can be explained in terms of the following elements:
|
- Illiterates constitute 11.1
percent of the population, and those who can only read and write
another 7.9 percent, i.e. a total of 19 percent. This explains the
high ratio of individuals and households having a very low degree of
satisfaction. It should be noted, however, that illiteracy is
concentrated mainly among the high-age categories, and especially
among females. The illiteracy rate for the age group 45 years and
above reaches 22.1 percent for males and 46 percent for females.
This leads to the conclusion that the children of poor households
are joining schools in higher proportions than did their parents. It
also explains why the percentage of households with very low
satisfaction (16.6 percent) distinctly exceeds that for individuals
(12.4 percent), contrary to the situation in the field of housing,
for example. In the case of education, the number of children - even
when it is large -improves the education index for households as
these children attend school and their score is generally higher
than that of their parents. In the case of housing, the large number
of children contributes directly to lower the score for the indices
of the share of the individual in rooms and in the built area and,
consequently, the housing index itself.
|
- The lower ratio of individuals
(and households) with intermediate satisfaction for the education
need (34.2 percent of individuals and 31.3 percent of households),
compared to the degree of intermediate satisfaction based on the
living conditions index (42.2 percent of individuals and 41.6
percent of households), indicates a weakness in intermediate and
vocational education and, consequently, a high degree of drop-out
between the elementary and intermediate levels. This is the
phenomenon with the social purport most closely related to living
conditions, and one of the weaker links in the education system.
|
- The high share of public
education at the secondary and university levels helps to explain
the high proportion of individuals and households classified as
having very high satisfaction corresponding to enrolment at these
two levels. This share attains 40 percent in secondary education
(compared to 29 percent at the elementary level), and 58 percent of
all university students. This drives households and individuals
classified as having an intermediate degree of satisfaction to
pursue education at higher levels, without this being necessarily
reflected in improvements in their living conditions and income
levels. This is due to the general nature of secondary and
university education, and the weakness of the link between education
and the labor market. It also explains the very wide gap between the
degree of very high satisfaction according to the education index
(16 percent), and that based on the living conditions index (3.3
percent) and the index of income-related indicators (6.9 percent).
|
| Nevertheless, the education
index remains more closely correlated with the living conditions index
(and the income-related indicators), than with the housing, and water
and sewerage indices, as indicated in Table 54 below. |
Table
54. Households classified below the threshold according to the education
index,
the other field indices and the living conditions index
(Percent
of total households in Lebanon) |
| Total
of households below the threshold according to the education index
|
Below
the threshold according to index of: |
| Housing
|
Water and
sewerage |
Income-related
indicators |
Living
conditions index |
| 32.8 |
12.7 |
6.8 |
20.2 |
23.0 |
|
