According to the Lebanese government, Lebanon has one of the best, if not the best educational system in the Arab world.
Primary education is practically free.
The government operates a number of trade, agricultural and other specialized schools. Their total annual enrollment in 1997 was about 165,000 . The country also has a variety of specialized schools and several teacher-training colleges. It is a fact that education ministry officials in Lebanon love to recite the above mentioned figures proving that the number of high school and college graduates have risen. The officials fail however to highlight the deficiencies in their students which render them incapable of participating in developmental projects, let alone maintaining the discipline necessary for holding a job.