The Cabinet ratified a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for a program to improve public schooling.

The program is funded through a $75 million-grant by the USAID. It is termed ‘Developing Rehabilitation Assistance to Schools and Teacher Improvement’ or D-RASATI (Arabic for ‘my studies’). The program aims to develop student achievement by improving the quality of teachers’ performance through in-service training, as well as upgrading the educational environments at all 1,400 public schools based on standards agreed upon with the Ministry of Education.

The five-year program was actually launched in December 2010, upon the signing of the agreement. It is in line with the national education strategy drafted by the Ministry of Education to develop the education sector. The estimated cost for developing the overall education sector in the country is $262 million.

The USAID said that 38 public schools have been selected to be renovated first under the program. It said that renovation processes are underway in several public schools across the country.

The USAID awarded the project’s implementation to US-based NGO Education Development Center (EDC).

D-RASATI is also working on upgrading public schooling at the level of teachers. It would also establish a monitoring and evaluation system to ensure high-quality performance.

Other partners in the D-RASATI project are the American University of Beirut, AMIDEAST, Cooperative Housing Foundation, International Orthodox Christian Charities, and the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development.