INTRODUCTION

Lybia’s national report regarding ‘Education for all", evaluation for the year 2000, consists of 3 parts. The first part is a general survey on Lybia : demographic, geographic and historical conditions that were suitable for establishing a particular educational system. Following that, is a general description of the educational system’s development and the mecanism that governs decisions in the sector of education, and the legislative power that sets plans and defines educational strategies and supervises their execution and the evaluation of results.

This part also includes the approaches of education and training in regards to opportunities and alternatives facing graduates and trained persons, with an overview of educational levels, number of students, and institutions interested in education and teaching activities, parties that participated in the execution of the educational and training program, especially in regards to fundamental education, supression of illiteracy, adult education and child development.

The second part is a detailed study of "Education for All" indicators, found in the technical gudelines. The study is an analysis of data found in those indicators’ technical tables, and stresses the results of statistical analysis to determine which indicators are positive in order to re-enforce them, and which are negative in order to study them and establish a diagnosis so that they can be corrected.

The third part presents a series of remarks in regards to the horizontal extension of education at all levels and in all fields, in order to spread knowledge and confirm the declaration : "Knowledge is everyone’s given right". It stresses the balance between that extension’s quality and quantity. This part also includes recommendations and suggestions based on the indicators’ statistical analysis results for "Education for All".

The report concludes with annexes showing data gathered on the field, in addition to a few decisions and figures showing educational statistics in Lybia. One must note that this report deals only with questions pertaining to early childhood development, fundamental education, suppression of illiteracy and adult education. This has allowed to avoid presenting the various scientific and educational activities among which, intermediate and advanced education and training, scientific research activities, as well as training and cooperation sessions in the sector of education, culture, and information exchange.

May God reward me, as well as all those who have participated in carrying out this work.

D. Abdalla El Abed Abou Jaafar
President of the Committee

The Great Arab Popular Socialist Lybian Jamahyria is the official name of Lybia. In this report, it will be referred to as "Lybia".

The Fundamental Popular Council : This is the local legislative power that comprises all adult men and women at the level of the first administrative unit (The Quarter)

The Popular : This is the regional executive power that corresponds to municipality or department in other countries.

The General Popular Council : Meeting of fundamental popular congresses, it formulates its decisions, it is regarded as the supreme legislative power. In other countries it is the equivalent of parliament or popular congress.

The General Popular Committee for Education and Vocational Training : It is the Executive Power in charge of carrying out at the state level, the decisions of Popular Congresses in regards to education and vocational training. In other countries, it is equivalent to The Ministry of Education.

The General Popular Committee : It is the supreme executive power in the state. In other countries it is equivalent to the Cabinet of Ministers.

The Superior Diploma : It is the Lybian name for a Master Degree.

The Special Diploma : It is the Lybian name for a Doctorate.

Letter F after dates means : Foreign instead of After Jesus-Christ written A.J-C, we write for example 1999 F instad of 1999 A.J-C.

Some decisions and legislations are dated according to the death of prophet Mohamed (May God pray for him and save him). It is referred to as the initials D.P which means Death of the Prophet.

Some decisions are dated according to the birth of the prophet (may God pray for him and save him). We say for example 1429 A.P.B. (After the prophet’s birth) instead of 1999 A.J-C.

Free Public Education : It is a form of special education in the form of common education in exchange of a remuneration paid by parents. Official authorities in charge of education supervise its activities in regards to the subjects taught, studies length, examinations...

Public Education : This is the education that is financed and supervised by the State.

Elementary Education : It represents the first six years of fundamental education.

Lybia is characterized by a strategic geographic location south of the Meditterranean and a coast that extends 2000 km. As a result of that, it was victimized by a number of occupations in the course of its History. It gave a special profile to the cultural and educational development of Lybia, which succumbed to many cultural occupation campaigns. Actually, Lybia has been occupied until the second half of the twentieth century.

Lybia is also characterized by its large area : 1,760,000 km2 .

It has a dry climate that reaches high temperatures, with draught and scarce rainfall that affect underground water reserves. These conditions yielded the creation of a particular demographic map. Highly populated cities on the green coastal strip which, in the best cases, does not extend more than a few kilometers, while the rest of the population is scattered in small demographic concentrations, in the deep and far desert valleys. In addition, there is a small group of nomads or semi-nomads who travel in the Great Desert. In spite of harsh conditions and as a result of two variables : The revolutionary will which characterizes the revolution of September 1^st 1969 F and the discovery, in the early sixties, of oil in commercially viable quantities, Lybia has achieved positive growth rates in many fields. We will mention the following :

1. Achievement of the highest demographic growth rate in the world. It reached 4.2% during the period 1973-1984 F. and 3.9 % during the period 1984-1994 F.
2. The number of inhabitants of schooling age (all levels) has reached 49.2% of the total population, approximately half the population of Lybia is or should be going to school.
3. The number of persons attending schools of various types and at various levels has increased from 365,311 in 1970 F to 1,890,231 male and female students in 1996 F.
4. The number of university students in various branches of specialization has increased from 13,418 in 1975 F to 165447 in 1999 F.
5. The number of classrooms for both parts of fundamental education and middle education has increased from 11,600 in 1970 F to 61,600 in 1996 F.
6. The rate of illiteracy has decreased from 34.2% in 1984 to 18.69% in 1995 F.
7. The number of university graduates has increased from 383 graduates in 1970 F to 68,503 graduates in 1994 F.

In spite of Lybia’s efforts to extend fundamental education to all, to suppress illiteracy, to control demographic growth, in spite of health and educational institutions, and houses, in spite of the decreasing child mortality rate, the increase of life expectancy and the increase of individual income, Lybia does not pretend to have passed the stage of being a developing country. It is still suffering from numerous problems resulting from world conditions following the end of the Cold War, such as decreasing oil prices, and the birth of what is known as the new World System as well as the economic and political alliances that followed, civil and regional wars whose consequence has been the control of the economy and will of the world, by western countries.

The problems that still plague Lybia are the sruggle against illiteracy, because there are still 609,419 of its inhabitants who cannot read nor write, in addition to cultural or functional illiteracy which has been increased by the present fast-paced development of computers, which most developing countries, including Lybia, have been unable to catch up with and implement, as well as train the personnel and technicians who are supposed to use them.

The political ambitions characterized by the freedom of choice and the refusal to be dominated and subordonated to the Great Powers have led to the embargo imposed on Lybia during the past decade. This embargo had unfortunate consequences on lybians’ life in general, on development and educational projects, on the extension of fundamental education, and on the mortality rate, especially among children. In addition to the demographic configuration characterized by the scattering of population throughout a very large desert area, and the gathering in small communities distant from each other, and unstable most of the time, which jeopardises the efforts of educational authorities to extend fundamental education to all, and turns the application of Education for All into an economically difficult and expensive task. This is confirmed by the number of inhabitants which reached 4,389,739 in 1995 F, half of which are in schooling age and are scattered througout an area extending 1,760,000 km2.

Lybia is not the only country suffering from these problems. Even industrialized countries suffer from similar problems and have not yet found the ideal solution.

The UN Report on Human Development, published in 1998, shows that illiteracy is present in those countries : "one often believes that the decrease in litteracy rate is a problem pertaining to developing countries and not developed countries. Nevertheless, there are some deficiencies as far as some people’s capacity to read and write, which limit the opportunities, on the economic level, for a large number of people living in countries of "The Development and Cooperation Organization". At least one quarter of those countries’ adult inhabitants do not possess the minimal reading and writing skills, which are necessary if they want to deal with daily life’s and work’s complicated problems. (see 1)

The World Declaration on Education for All shows that there are over 100 million children, among which 60 million girls, who do not go to school. Over 960 million adults are illiterate, 2/3 of which are women. All industrialized and developing countries are victims of functional or cultural illiteracy. Over 100 million children and a large number of adults have not been able to complete fundamental education. (see 2)

Inspired by the world declaration on " Education for All" and the measures to be taken to cover the needs of Fundamental Education decreed by the World Congress for Education, which was held in Jomtien, Thaïland, March 5 to March 9 1990 F and in accordance with directive and technical principles set forth by the International Consulting Coucil for "Education for All", the General Popular Committee for Education and Vocational Training’s secretary has decreed decision (535) for the year 1429 P.B.D. establishing a specialized committee whose members would be: Institutions and organisms concerned with education and training in Lybia. Its mission would be to prepare the national report on Education for All, Evaluation for the year 2000 F.

This committee includes members from educational institutions, research centers, educational administrations, universities, computer science sections, and from other administrations and organisms concerned with education and training, we will cite :

1. Fateh University
2. The National Organism for Computer Science and Documentation
3. The National Planning Center for Education and Training
4. The National Lybian Committee for Education, Culture and Science
5. The Directorate General for Educational Orientation and Inspection
6. The Computer Science Section, Faculty of Science, Fateh University
7. The Directorate General for Middle Education
8. The Directorate General for Fundamental Education
9. The Directorate General for Education and Training Programs

Following the principles of the International Council for Education for All, the committee tried to extend the communications circle to include the largest possible number of institutions that contribute to the education or training of citizens, and that answer fundamental educational needs. The committee contacted public and private institutions, associations, administrations, unions, and the secretary’s office, asking them to participate in the evaluation, either by appointing delegates and offering ideas and suggestions, or by presenting the committee with data and informations relative to the educational activities undertaken by their institutions.

The Institutions :

1. The Treasury Directorate General at the Ministry of Treasury
2. The Directorate of Free Education
3. The Directorate of Education at Home

8. The High Education and training spending
9. Training centers for women.

Inspired by the national, religious, cultural and historical fundamentals and principles that characterize the Lybian peoples, and by the fundamentals of laws and legislations that are applied, the major objectives of the educational system in Lybia are :

1. Generalization and implementation of the idea of the "Third World Theory", to create a new culture in the Jamahyria, based on the authenticity of the community and the capacity of its members to personify a new world culture.
2. The educational system must contribute to the edification of the community on the economic, social, and cultural levels, while stressing the development of individual capacities to watch over the integration, and positive, effective collaboration of each one to move the community forward.
3. Ensure the growth of an alert generation which fulfills its duties and which is capable of assuming its responsibility through the development of self-confidence and the capacity to express itself.

4. The increasing of the arab authenticity feeling, and the capacity to communicate and help, should further increase the feeling of belonging to this authenticity to become a factor of unity through :

1. The development of the feeling of national alliegeance and existential bonds with the arab nation.
2. Bring forward the arab and islamic cultural tradition which would act as a catalyst for for the progress and enrichment of human culture.

4. The individual choice of studies must be a free choice and a way to develop individual talents and interests, to have an occupation or a profession or to pursue one’s studies.
5. Education must be available to all, in all specializations in order to allow for free transfer from one specialization to the other.
6. That the educational system should lead, after the basic education phase, to specialized functional branches that would prepare graduates to contribute to work and production, or to pursue their way through higher education.
7. That it should lead to the training of qualified technical and professional managers, capable of profiting from scientific planning methods and using scientific means and equipment in order to develop knowledge and discover new production ways and methods.
8. That technical and professional education should be an integral part of the elements of education in all its phases.
9. That it should ensure a balanced composition of social tissue in regards to cultural types and technical means.
10. That it should adopt arabic as the basic language for education in all its phases, preserve its autheticity and try to further develop it.
11. That it should take care of teaching the Kuran, undertake research, encourage talents in that field and facilitate any endeavours that would contribute to the spreading of the Kuran, its reading and its science.
12. Suppress once and for all illiteracy, engage in a fight against professional illiteracy among all community members of working age, and spread professional and technical culture on a large scale and by all means.

• THE EXECUTIVE POWER FOR EDUCATION  AND TRAINING

The Jamahyria comprises 26 Popularities and 384 Fundamental Popular Congresses. In each Popular Congress there is a member who is in charge of supervising any questions regarding education and training. An assistant secretary, in charge of the education and training section, is appointed among the members of Fundamental Popular Congresses within each Popularity. Members within the Fundamental Popular Congresses, who are in charge of supervising education and training, as well as assistant secretaries for education and training within Popularities, constitute the General Popular Committee for Education and Vocational Training, and the Creation presided by the secretary (Minister) of the General Popular Committee for Education and Vocational Training, appointed by The General Congress of the People.

The General Popular Committee for Education and Vocational Training convenes 2 to 3 times a year to follow up on the execution of the Fundamental Popular Congresses’ decisions.

The member in charge of Education, within the Fundamental Popular Congress, has to supervise education and execute its policies within the limits of his Congress. He also coordinates the Popularity (Municipality) responsible for the execution of those decisions within the Popularity. He ensures proper coordination between the Popularity, the office of the secretary of the General Popular Committee for Education and Vocational Training.The secretary of the General Popular Committee for Education and Vocational Training is in charge of pursuing the State’s general policy in regards to education and training.

Figure (1) shows the organization chart for the General Popular Committee for Education and Training’s secretary’s office.

The Committee for Education and Training is the higher executive power in regards to education and vocational training in Lybia. Its task consists of carrying out the executive programs of the Fundamental Popular Congresses’ decisions, in taking the appropriate measures to meet the general objectives for education and training.

Its tasks are the following :

1. Set education and training plans, and come up with the programs necessary for their execution.
2. Prepare the plans and programs that are adequate for the application of the new educational structure.
3. Meet the needs and ensure the equipment that is necessary for the functioning of the education and training process.
4. Provide teachers, trainers and faculty members in order to meet the needs of that sector.
5. Prepare and adopt programs and decisions for all education and trainimg institutions in that sector, supervise their application and provide books, references and publications for the education and training process. Adopt the programs that are intended to improve competence and facilitate the undertaken rehabilitation in other sectors.
6. Create education and training institutions, develop them, and ensure their maintenance and administration.
7. Organize and execute educational programs in schools, apply Free Public Education at all levels, suggest and establish organized lists.
8. Carry out examinations, adopt their results, deliver degrees at all levels, set the beginning and the end dates of the academic year and the training sessions.
9. Take care of the procedures of college education, higher studies, scholarships, formalities in relation to foreigners coming to pursue their studies, or citizens going on assignments, permissions granted to foreign communities to have their own schools, supervise lybian schools abroad in coordination with the General Popular Committee for External Communication.
10. Prepare administrative, financial, and technical lists for education and vocational training according to present laws.
11. Prepare projects and suggestions regarding the creation, fusion or cancellation of faculties, universities or higher institutes, or the sector’s scientific research centers.
12. Set forth hygienic and technical guidelines for school buildings in order to have them harmonize with nature in every region.
13. Set forth the necessary guidelines for the delivery of honorary degrees.
14. Suggest and organize scientific conferences, and give advise in regards to international agreements related to the sector’s activity.
15. Prepare the general budget for the financial department and the units with independent budget, and participate in the preparation of the sector’s other budgets.

• EDUCATION LEVELS
• The school system comprises five levels :

• Preschool level : Duration 2 years, for children age 4 to 5
• Fundamental Education level which is divided in several parts :

• The first part extends 4 years for children age 7 to 10
• The second part extends 2 years for children age 11 to 12
• The third part extends 3 years for children age 13 to 15

• Middle Education and Training..... extending 3 to 4 years. It is subdivided into general baccalaureate, specialized baccalaureates, technical and and vocational institutes and centers. It is intended for age groups 16 to 18 and 19.
• Higher Education ..... it comprises universities, higher institutes and technical centers. It extends 3 years (for some centers and institutes) to 6 years for some university faculties.
• Advanced Studies ..... they cover 2 advanced degrees (Master and Doctorate).

Figure (2) shows the structure of the school system in the Jamahyria. ( not available)

Figure (1) shows the cycles of education and training for students and trained people in each cycle.( not available)

FIGURE (2) The Structure of Education and Training (not available)

TABLE (1)

Number of students and trained people in the Jamahyria’s cycles of education and training

Lybian males and females who set Lybia’s educational policy according to Popular Congresses (which have the authority to take legislative measures) are convinced that education is the only way to development and progress, and the only way to get rid of diseases, ignorance and poverty. Spending on education has been generous : the budget for 1993 has reached 640 million dinars (equivalent to $2,000,000).

Laws and legislations have been adopted in order to regulate the educational system and to give executive powers (Secretaries of Education, Training and Scientific Research) all the needed powers to develop education and to renew it, through the development of educational programs and teaching methods, and to give technical education and computer science the highest priority in the State’s agenda. Those objectives are carried out through the General Popular Committee for Education and Vocational Training, in charge of executing programs and evaluating policies.

Educational authorities consider education as a human right, as declared in the United Nations international charts since 1948 F, and confirmed by the Third World Theory (knowledge is a natural right for all). Many laws, legislations and decisions were made in order to set the foundations, the principles, and the objectives for each cycle of education and technical training, including the preschool cycle as well as general and higher education.

1. Here are the major sources and laws concerning education:
2. education, setting the mandatory age 6 to 15.
3. Law on education number 134 decreed by the Commanding Council of the Revolution on29/10/1976 F.
4. The declaration establishing the power of the people in 1977 F.
5. Law number 12 in 1977 F on technical education.
6. The General Popular Committee’s decision number (11) announced on 11/5/1980 concerning the execution of the plans for suppressing illiteracy, and adult education.
7. The general Congress of the People’s decision on the application of the education sector’s structure.
8. The General Popular Committee’s decision number 459 of the year 1984 F establishing Fundamental Education levels’ list.
9. The P.G.C. ‘s decision number 670 of the year 1987 F on the creation of an Open University.
10. Law number 5 of the year 1987 F on handicaped, asserting the right of the handicaped to safe rehabilitation and education, and their support at home.
11. Law 4 of the year 1988 F confirming the Treaty of the "Arab Child".
12. P.G.C.’s decision number 540 of the year 1992 F regarding the list of Free Education.
13. Decision 317 of the year 1993 F regarding the internal organization of the Information Office, which guarantees the creation of the children’s education section, followed by the children’s litterature unit and the children’s arts unit.
14. P.G.C.’s decision number 624 of the year 1993 F concerning the organization of free Education and Vocational Training.
15. Law number (1) of the year 1994 on higher education.
16. Law number 5 of the year 1997 on child protection.
17. General Congress of the People’s law number 20 of the year 1998 F on Social Security.
18. Decision number 134 of the year 1998 of the secretary of the Directorate of Active Forces General Assembly, that defines prerequisites and regulations for childcare centers for active women’s children.
19. The General Popular Committee’s decision number 100 of the year 1998 annouced on 28/4/1998 F for the creation of the Higher Committee for Children.
20. G.P.C.’s decision number 250 of the year 1998 to regulate preschools.
21. G.P.C.’s decision number 13 of the year1999, announced on 30/1/1999 F, to reorganize the National Center for Research on Education and Training.
22. G.P.C. for for Education and Training’s secretary’s decision number 17 of the year 1999 F to set up a Consulting Committee for Education and Training.
23. G.P.C. for Health and Social Security’s secretary’s decision announced on 17/4/1999 F to publish the executive list of law number 20 of the year 1998 on Social Security.
24. The Great Green Document on human rights.
25. G.P.C.’s decision number 266 of the year 1429 PBD for the new educational structure’s program’s application.
26. G.P.C.’s decision 271 in 1429 PBD to extend encouragements to female students in technical and specialized professions, and in technical training centers.
27. G.P.C.’s decision 273 in 1429 PBD to determine the number of students in schools.
28. G.P.C.’s decision 274 in 1429 PBD to solve the surplus problem of civil servants in the sector of education and training.
29. G.P.C.’s decision 275 of 1429 PBD to ensure transportation needs for school and technical inspectors.
30. Decision 278 of the year 1429PBD for reorganizing the Higher Institutes for teachers training.
31. G.P.C.’s decision 279 in 1429 PBD to supply necessary funds for the application of the program for Reform and Development of Education and Vocational Training.
32. G.P.C.’s decision 281 in 1429 PBD to reorganize and restructure universities in Lybia.

A revision of the prevailing laws and legislations in the sector of child education, training, development, and rights, and suppression of illiteracy as well as adult education, stresses the following points :

1. All laws have been decreed since the beginning of the Revolution in 1969 F.
2. They all conform to international charts announced by the United Nations on human rights, children’s fundamental rights to education and schooling.
3. They are inspired from UNESCO principles and regional and local educational organizations, suppression of illiteracy and equality between the two genders in pursuing studies.
4. Most of those legislations are innovative and developed forms of older laws to catch up with the social, economic, educational and technical development that is taking place worldwide.
5. Follow-up laws, which reflects continuous supervision by the authorities and their development efforts if need be.
6. The application of the 1990 Jomten/Thaïland’s recommendations on Education for All and the satisfaction of fundamental needs. Most of the legislations mentioned above were published after the Congress and in particular, laws on the generalization of fundamental education, suppression of illiteracy, adult education, child development, application of fundamental education to all.

In Lybia, schhool is mandatory throughout completion of fundamental education which coïncides with the age of 15. It is the State’s responsibility, it is therefore financed by public budget througout completion of the university cycle. The increasing number of school-aged children and the desire of a large number among them to pursue college education have contributed to increase the burden of the task on the community. This has incited the authorities concerned with education to take a series of precautions to decrease this burden :

• Parents contribute to the expenses. They pay for part of the books price in the fundamental education cycle.
• Institutions and productive sectors take upon themselves to organize special sessions for the suppression of illiteracy, adult education, incitation to private investment in the education and training sector at all cycle levels.

This has allowed for the creation of what is known as "Free Public Education" and "Open Higher Education".

On the other hand, the Jamahyria has undertaken a new educational project named : "Education at Home" which covers the first years of fundamental education, through radio broadcasts, satellites and particular processes that link the student to the school on a regular basis. The 2 lybian stations (radio and television) and the satellite channel, broadcast programs that are intended to suppress illiteracy. They are geared towards the targeted age groups and cover women at home and workers. They also broadcast programs that complement general education’s curriculae. Those activities imply the collaboration of secretaries for education, education, higher education, information, culture, public health, social security, agriculture, public service, and some local organizations and organisms in collaboration with the different international organizations in Lybia, especially for the organizing the trainin. Meetings and conferences have been organized, in order to discuss them. They have been analysed and explained in the media.

Laws and decisions have been decreed in order to give them legal support. We will cite the most relevant ones :

1. G.P.C.’s decision 459 in 1985 F to publish a list of Fundamental Education at Home.
2. G.P.C.’s decision 624 in 1993 to publish a list of Free Education and Vocational Training.
3. G.P.C.’s decision 849 in 1993 to link the Permanent Committee for Education at Home to the National Committee for Education and Vocational Training (NCEVT).

Fundamental education at home is a new style of education where the child studies with the help of various communication tools. (radio, television) and with the help of one of his parents or the person replacing them at home. This school program is published simultaneously and answers the objectives of the regional program for the generalization and innovation of elementary education and the suppression of illiteracy in the arab countries in the year 2000 (arabo-bill), the school renovation network for development in the arab world (Ibidas) and the principle of "Education for All" announced at the Jomtien International Conference in 1990 F.

Considering Lybia’s enormous area and its demographic nature (inhabitants scattered in oasises and desert valleys) as we already mentioned, this program could have quite a positive impact on the generalization of education, suppression of illiteracy, and adult education. It is beeing continuously evaluated and followed up on behalf of teachers and education executives.

Since the school’s function does not only consist of teaching informations and lessons, education at home has not neglected any point. The child is supervised at home, he meets other children during examinations and social activities. The child studying at home participates in educational activities along with other children, and that prepares him to enter social life beyond the home.

Here are the major principles of education at home :

1. Choose professors and teachers to prepare the ideal decisions and lessons.
2. The presence of a help within the family to receive the lessons through radio and television.
3. The presence of an effective mechanism for the supervision and coordination between the secretaries of Education and Vocational Training and the secretary of Information and Culture, in order to implement those programs.
4. Support the programs for the development since early childhood, by generalizing preschools and by lowering schooling age so that it includes part of early childhood.
5. Give talented persons the opportunity to move forward independently of their "temporal age".
6. Reduce the cost for the generalization of fundamental education.
7. Help children who did not go to school.
8. Move back the schooling date for fundamental education, without sacrificing the family educational atmosphere.

The child must be age 5, to be accepted in this type of education.

The passage from one cycle to the next means that he must have achieved a certain level of knowledge through practical tests in regular schools.

He can take the examinations whenever his tutor feels that he is capable of taking them.

The experiment has not yet been evaluated scientifically and definitely, but it has been accepted with great enthusiasm. The number of enrolled persons in the program of Education at Home has reached 28,435 in 1999.

Here is the table for the persons enrolled in Education at Home in its different sessions, in the Jamahyria, in 1998-1999.

Free Education represents an essential strategic element to generalize fundamental education, suppress illiteracy and ensure education continuity. In the early nineties, this type of education has radically developed as far as the number of institutions, the number of participants, the variety of fields and specializations that it encompassed. Inspired by the principles of human rights to knowledge and the liberty of choice, the General Popular Committee and the G.P.C. for Education and Vocational Training have decreed a series of decisions, legislations, and lists, to structure education and free public training. We shall cite the following :

1. Decision 96 in 1989 F on the list for Free Vocational Training.
2. Decision 1225 in 1990 F to encourage production.
3. Decision 9 in 1992 F to structure Free General Education
4. Decision 540 in 1992 F to publish the list for Free Education.
5. Decision 19 in 1993 F to grant permits (26/9/1993 F)
6. Decision 27 in 1993 to structure the G.P.C. for education, youth, scientific research, and vocational training.
7. Decision 624 in 1993 F to publish the list for the structure of Free education and Vocational Training.

In order to implement those decisions and lists, the system of Free Public Education had to be invented. It sustained the expansion efforts of education in accordance with the decisions of the Jomtien Congress, Thaïland, in 1990 : "Education for All".

The importance of free education originates from 2 sources :

1. It applies to all age groups
2. It offers a choice to all those who do not find the path that meets their expectations in traditional education.

Since the rules of traditional and free education differ from one country to the other, freedom of education in Lybia involves setting up Educational Communities that go beyond formal education. Those undertake educational and training activities in the light of educational objectives and policies adopted in Lybia.

Institutions in charge of education and training are required to follow a structure, and a content, as well as general formal educational practices. As a result, they are under its supervision in order to guarantee the required level.

Free education in Lybia consists of institutions, educational communities, and sessions of training and education at home :

1. Education and training institutions : those institutions are supervised after a list decreed by the P.G.C. which has established the basic conditions for setting up those institutions, organizing their administration and practicing their specialization. It has dictated the required qualities of the faculty corps and the executives, in addition to students’ admission, amount of tuitions, examinations’ results, beginning and ending of academic year or training sessions.

According to these lists, many institutions have been created. The following table shows the number of communities, students, teachers and school classrooms in different regions of the country :

In respect of free education circles’ extension and to encourage education, suppression of illiteracy, and continuing education, and in application of human rights to knowledge and information, the open educational system in universities was put together at the end of the eighties, with the creation of the Open University after G.P.C.’s decision 670 in 1987 F. It was operational for academic year 1989/1990 F.

Inspired by the Congress for Education for All in Jomtien, Thaïland in 1980 F, Open University developped to the point of including 17 branches in 1999 F. Its specializations comprise 11 technical specializtions.

The following table shows the university’sscientific sections and the number of regular students and associate members *1 as of June 1999F.

In order to graduate from Open University, it is required to have 120 to 150 credits, equivalent to 40 or 50 courses depending on the different sections. Programs, books and scientific publications vary according to sections. They are available in the sales section.

The University has a program of theoretical conferences and workshops. The program also plans for seminars and debates. Professors supervise students’s research and work.

The University exempts some students from tuition, such as the elderly, the handicaped, female students in the military, and some students who are unable to to pay for tuition. The decision not to pay or to have a payment plan is decided by the General Popular Committe.

*1 Associates are students who have registered in university through Education and Training’s Secretary’s office.

The University has published over 190 books in addition to instructions on teaching methods. As of June 1999 F, it has delivered 2019 diplomas as follows ;

• 47% of diplomas to females
• 13% to foreigners

The number of students during each examination session reaches 15,000 maland the Lybian radio. These channels are necessary to sustain the efforts aimed at the generalization of fundamental education and at suppressing illiteracy, which is especially due to the development of educational techniques, information, and modern communication tools.

Considering the increasing number of students who are learning at home, Lybia has devoted a satellite television channel for the fundamental Studies program (Education at home), the revisions of some courses for the middle education diplomas, some courses for technical and vocational training, for university conferences for students in Open Education, and for illiteracy suppression programs.

Since the beginning of its operation in january 1997 F, the television channel receives aid and positive encouragements with the increasing audience number both locally and internationally. This will lead the National Committee for Free Education to create institutions outside Lybia, called :" Friends Clubs for Education at Home", whose mission is to spread the experience to other countries in the world, aiming primarily at the Lybian and arab community abroad. Countries that have witnessed the creation of those clubs as of today are : England, Bosnia Herzegovina, Argentina and Spain.

Public and private institutions offer these sessions whose length varies, according to each one’s objectives.

These sessions are held in factories, agricultural projects, centers in charge of women and children and in some organisms, secretary’s offices and compagnies.... in collaboration with local and regional educational authorities concerned with training and culture, such as UNESCO and the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science. Often, those organisms push forward the experience, teachers, trainers and curriculae.