Lebanon is a country that puts a great deal of value on education, where the Lebanese take exceptional pride in their trilingual skills and their ability to adapt in any environment — irrefutable proof of the quality of their education. However, despite being the second-largest item, after defense, on the national budget (11% in 2005), 96% primary school enrollment and 90% youth literacy rates, the public education sector in Lebanon is plagued by inequalities and high dropout rates, as much as 23% at the intermediate level according to a World Bank report. High Dropout, Low Result Most experts agree that the quality of education in Lebanon is not commensurate with the level of investment. Primary education completion rates in Lebanon are lower than in Jordan, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, countries with significantly lower GNI per capita. Dropout rates are also disturbingly high. Between 2001 and 2006 enrollment in elementary
