Advancing the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) in Public Schools

In August 2023, the Hariri Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Baccalaureate (IB) organization. This partnership aims to introduce the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) into 12 public schools across various Lebanese governorates. 

This initiative marks a significant step toward achieving social justice in Lebanon’s education sector. By providing public school students the opportunity to engage with the PYP, the program seeks to empower them to become positive and effective agents of change. Furthermore, it creates a platform for collaboration between public schools and the IB community in Lebanon. 

The selected schools are now candidate schools for the PYP program. The IB has appointed one consultant per school to guide and support them throughout the process of authorization. These consultants will provide continuous support to schools through field visits and virtual meetings. At the end of the consultation period, a comprehensive review of each school’s progress in implementing the program will be conducted, along with a professional assessment of the school’s readiness to receive the authorization to offer the programme. 

In July 2024, 18 professional development workshops, recognized by the IB, were held for school principals, PYP coordinators, and approximately 400 teachers. These workshops aimed to equip the leadership and educational teams in schools with the skills and knowledge necessary to implement the PYP successfully. Representatives from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, as well as from the Educational Center for Research and Development, actively participated in these workshops.