Parental strategies and educational inequalities during severe economic, political and refugee crises in conflict-affected Lebanon

This study explores how parents in Lebanon select schools and how their choices contribute to educational inequality, especially during the ongoing severe economic, political and refugee crises. Using an exploratory methodology within a qualitative research design, the study included 30 semi-structured interviews with parents of school-aged children, chosen through purposive convenience and snowball sampling technique. Thematic analysis reveals widespread parental preference for private, fee-paying schools as opposed to public schools that are free at the point of entry. However, the ability of parents to choose private institutions, unsurprisingly linked to socioeconomic status, has been exacerbated by the recent crises. This study offers insights into a new socio-economic group of parents, previously part of the middle class, who are facing difficulties in selecting schools that align with their aspirations for their children. It found them strategically moving their children between private and public schools and making compromises based on factors such as the perceived importance of the educational stage and the child’s perceived academic abilities. Moreover, it shows parents exhibiting harsh practices, favoring private schools for high-achieving children while sending children with lower levels of academic performance and children with disabilities and/or specific educational needs, to public schools. The study underscores the challenges stemming from diminished trust in public education, detailing the difficult decisions some parents are forced to make due to unprecedented crises. It also highlights the growing educational inequality in this conflict-affected context and emphasizes the urgent need for systemic interventions to address widening disparities in Lebanon’s education system.