47 EDUCATION: SEVERED LANDSCAPE The survey has confirmed once again how problematic it is for stateless children to access to education. Moreover, the dropout ratios that emerged from Beirut and Mount Lebanon are much greater, indicating that proximity to the Lebanese economic center does not guarantee a better chance of enrolling in schools. The disparity between stateless persons and Lebanese nationals in terms of education is significant across the four areas mapped to date. Fig 8. Which level of education did you reach? (Stateless and Lebanese respondents) That said, where in Tripoli and Akkar, the proportion of stateless who didn’t receive any education is respectively three times and twice as large than Lebanese citizens, the proportion is five times greater for the stateless individuals living in Greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Reaching higher education also appears as a far fetched project for stateless individuals, with bigger difficulties noticeable in Tripoli on that level. Different factors explain the staggering situation of such a severed education landscape for stateless persons. On one hand, family issues prevented a significant proportion of respondents (35%) from being registered in school, due to negligence, ignorance or gender discrimination. A lack of financial capabilities was mentioned by 29% of respondents in both areas, while 18% blamed their lack of identification documents and their statelessness. Smaller proportions among older respondents mentioned the war (7%), or stressed their lack of belief in the education system facilitating access to the job market and enjoying the fruit of their degrees (4%). 17% 13% 14% 22% 45% 51% 57% 74% 66% 71% 67% 77% 53% 45% 39% Greater Beirut 15% 11% 9% Stateless Lebanese Respondents Citizens 33% Stateless Lebanese Stateless Mount Lebanon Did not go to school Went to school Lebanese Akkar 10% Stateless Lebanese Tripoli Reached higher education © 2023 Siren Associates. All Rights Reserved.