That education in this country is by far below international standards is needless to say. However, much has been said over the years about plans and attempts to provide quality education in schools to enhance creative abilities and learning and study skills in general. And yet, despite amendments to curricula, to evaluation methods and to other aspects of the educational process effected by successive governments, a comprehensive vision of what would actually upgrade the whole system is still lacking. Recent statements by the Minister of Education regarding the cancellation of the end-of-stage exam for sixth grade students has raised a controversy over the appropriateness of the step in terms of quality. The minister relied in his decision on article l8 of the education law which designates nine years for the obligatory tertiary level ending with a final examination. So the minister believed that there is no need for wasting an annual LE40 million on sixth grade exams that have been for years supervised by the ministry when the primary school certificate does not qualify holders for anything. On the other hand, those against the decision find that these examinations stimulated students given the exam-oriented educational system in this country and the mindset of both teachers and students. The fact on the ground, however, says that government-run schools are offering the lowest level of education, the outcome of which is that a substantial number of primary and preparatory school leavers were found to be barely literate or numerate. This has to do with teachers' low pay, mediocre school funding, ‘compulsory' private tuition whose major aim is to augment teacher's earnings regardless of the actual benefit for students, and, more importantly, outdated teaching and learning methodology. Abrupt decisions taken with insufficient study or by patchwork means will not eventually hit the targets pursued. The first step is to increase education allocations in the State budget, and to change the approach to an overall vision of the pedagogical process.
