Some Americans are Skeptical Of US Education Aid To Lebanon

As you probably know, the USAID has contributed $75 Million to improve the Lebanese public education system. But some Americans are skeptical, not because they don’t want to give us the money, but because they’re not convinced that money is the answer to public education woes:

The money is supposed to “improve student achievement in all public schools in Lebanon.” Oh, really. When has money solved the problems of student achievement in US public schools?

I think they’re comparing apples and oranges. Education in Lebanon and the US have completely different problems, and our problems (shabby schools, underpaid teachers and low R&D) can be solved by money.

But the real differences are the amounts involved.

$75M means of $18.75 for every Lebanese man, woman and child. That’s the equivalent of pouring $6 Billion dollars into the American educational system. If you factor in the difference between the average pay of Lebanese teachers and American teachers, (an approximate factor of 4), the equivalent amount becomes $24 Billion. Is this really an amount to scoff at ?