Head of College Notre-Dame de Jamhour and College Saint-Grégoire, R.P. Batour, spoke exclusively to Ici Beyrouth on the occasion of the publication of his latest book, “L’exception éducative libanaise et le lien avec la France.”
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Father Batour, when someone reads “L’exception éducative libanaise et le lien avec la France”, they’re immediately impressed by the flood of information. How much time did you spend writing this book?
Plenty of time, given my many duties and responsibilities, but not much time compared with what it takes to write a book of this magnitude. Had I been given that time, I would clearly have taken advantage of it to go into greater depth in the study of a few files and the verification of some historical data. Honestly, I’ve done as much as I can as a fully-fledged school principal. It must also be said that the work of my colleague Christine Szymankiewicz was fundamental, especially as she enormously helped me in the preparation of this book. I spent a lot of time discussing and developing the project with her. A few dossiers might have merited more research, but we were able to do some. I relied on a few reference works, such as Mgr. Nasser Gemayel’s thesis on the Maronites’ relationship with Europe and Chantal Verdeil’s book on the Jesuit mission in the 19th century. I also consulted a number of websites about different school groups in Lebanon. But I have to admit that for some schools, I didn’t manage to get much information.
You have brought together in a single book the entire history of schools in Lebanon, across all religions and eras.
Precisely, the book is intended as a historical overview of all the schools. To tell the truth, we didn’t really give ourselves enough time to research certain communities. For example, we couldn’t find enough reference material on the Orthodox Church in Lebanon. To this end, I’d like to invite an Orthodox colleague or friend to review our book and try to put together a book on Orthodox schools. Our initial idea was to present a panorama with what we had materially available so that, following our project, readers could continue the work, criticize certain aspects, and adjust some data. Our book is only the first stone on which to build. As far as we know, there’s nothing like it in education in Lebanon. Can you imagine that in the land of education, there isn’t a single book dealing with the general history of schools and education? We claim to be the first. It’s a claim, of course, that needs to be reviewed and validated.
Although it coincided with the celebration of the centenary of Collège Saint-Grégoire, the timing of your book’s publication doesn’t really seem insignificant to me. Is this because Lebanon is truly at a decisive turning point in its history?
Without a doubt. We decided to include the book signing in the centenary program three weeks before the ceremony because I personally don’t like the idea of book signings. It’s like inviting people, especially in these times of financial crisis, to come and buy the book. But we’re not looking for advertising, and we don’t publish for economic gain. In fact, the explanation for the “good” timing is quite simple: it just so happens that the theme of the book—the history of education—coincides perfectly with the celebration of Collège Saint-Grégoire’s centenary. I also felt that the timing was just right, especially as our country is going through a particularly difficult period and the entire education sector is undergoing a major existential crisis. On the one hand, there’s the question of dollarization (of schooling), and on the other, all educational institutions are severely shaken by the monetary and economic crisis. So, now or never is the time to say to all the Lebanese: “Read your history” and “look at what education has been able to do so far.” There may be things that education hasn’t been able to accomplish or that it has done badly, but at the very least, we must recognize the contribution that education has made to this small country of Lebanon. “Read your history” to understand why, today, professors, teachers, and even students must make sacrifices to preserve and promote this Lebanese formula, this exception.
We learn a lot from your book. For example, the first Maronite College in Rome was founded in 1584, but how fabulous is that?
It’s absolutely extraordinary, and yet we don’t talk about it enough, and the general public is unaware of this fundamental reality.
Another example: I didn’t know that until the 19th century, the second language of instruction in most Lebanese schools was Italian.
Do you know why it was Italian? It’s the direct influence of the Maronite College in Rome, whose direction, like all Roman colleges, was entrusted to the Jesuits. Italian and Latin were the two languages of instruction in this establishment founded in Rome for the education of Lebanese priests, whose role was to be fundamental in the foundation of all schools in Mount Lebanon.
In 1736, the Lebanese Council of Louaizé ordered that education should be free…
And for everyone! I called it—without explicitly saying so in the book—a “revolution,” a little Lebanese Revolution before the French Revolution. You can’t imagine what that means… Even if the reasons given for educating girls at the time were, if anything, a little comical: “Girls have to be educated not to get into mischief,” it was a question of mentality, but let’s not forget that this was 18th-century Lebanon. The very idea that girls and boys should go to school, free of charge, is a veritable revolution in mentality. What an avant-garde commitment by a few inhabitants of Mount Lebanon from as early as 1736!
Let me give you a few more examples: in 1869, the Sublime Porte created the first free public schools. What’s more, we didn’t know that Lebanon, through its education system, boasts the world’s largest French-language teaching network!
Outside France, 25% of students enrolled in the network of schools approved by the AEFE (Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Etranger) are Lebanese. You can, of course, disagree with French politics or perhaps have things to say about its economic system or political parties, but nobody can minimize or question the importance of this endemic link between our two countries. In my book, I tried to explain that France, from the 19th century onwards, embodies for us the historical link that has existed since the time of the Romans and Byzantium. Our link with European and Latin cultures goes back a long way. The Lebanese have forgotten this reality. It’s a shame. Why is France important to us today? Because a cultural and human link binds us to all the people of the Mediterranean: the sea brings us together. We have to say it again and again.
Speaking of the French-speaking world, we learn that the proportion of French-speaking people in Lebanon was 70% in 1990. But, unfortunately, the number of French-speaking people in the country has fallen by a notch every year for the past 20 years…
At the time of writing, the number of students learning Arabic and English has just exceeded the number of students learning French and Arabic. There is no denying that a change is taking place in Lebanon, but that’s precisely why it’s important to emphasize the historical link between Lebanon and France. To say that one aspect of the country’s identity is changing is purely an observation, not an ideological position. Indeed, what will become of Lebanon if it is no longer French-speaking or if it is less French-speaking? That’s a big question.
Reading your book, one is truly convinced that this country’s true wealth lies not in its temperate climate, proximity between sea and mountains, (wasted) water, or (hypothetical) oil… No, its wealth lies in education, a true international passport to launch oneself into life. Would you agree?
Of course! Lebanon is a beautiful country. God gave us a superb natural environment and there may be many riches in this country, but the greatest wealth is really our education. The proof, today, is that a country like ours, in this dramatic situation, is sending its children all over the world, and they are doing an extraordinary job. The reason is simple: we are a people shaped by linguistic and cultural richness. Being educated in Lebanon means being well educated and prepared to live in a diverse, multicultural world. Look at the contribution made by the Lebanese in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, France, Europe in general, the United States, Canada, Latin America and Australia… Who are we, a small country, to possess all this human potential? I’m convinced that education has played the greatest role, which is why I call it our “treasure.” Even oil, there will come a time when it will be sold and spent. But not education!
At the end of 8 years spent in a difficult context at the head of the most prestigious educational establishment in Lebanon, not to say in the Middle East, and as you hand over the reins, are you confident in the future of Lebanese education and, consequently, in the future of the country?
When I was appointed Rector of this College, I think that, unintentionally, I had in mind, with a group of advisors, friends, and Jesuits, to really want to develop it and to give it a slightly more international look because Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour is part of this country’s educational constants. But you can’t control life and its ups and downs.
In fact, I soon found myself facing multiple crises. It started with the salary crisis—the famous August 2017 law enacting increases—a crisis that shook the system to its core. These increases were poorly done and not well studied. As proof, the economic situation deteriorated immediately afterwards. Then came the series of problems and crises starting on October 17 (2019, the popular revolt); by the way, I mention them in the book: road closures, political instability. Then came the banking crisis, followed by the general economic slump. And, to make matters worse, COVID-19 invited itself to the party. Its management was no simple matter, and the College was almost transformed into a hospital. The explosion on August 4 (2020, the Beirut port) added another layer, and finally, the fuel shortage seriously disrupted student transport. I think one day I’ll write a book about running a school in Lebanon during this period in our history, because I will have a lot to say.
Yes, I’m confident in Lebanon’s educational future and in that of the country. Because it’s exactly this confidence that has always motivated my actions. People ask me, “How did you achieve all this?” and I answer, “I don’t know myself”. Not to sound falsely humble, but I’ve been an instrument; I’ve played a role. I can say without pretense that I was really motivated by this confidence. And I would go even further, by my faith. It was this hope, which is almost profoundly Christian, that motivated my actions. I told myself that if Jamhour can weather this storm, the country will too. One day, I explained to the elders of the Collège, “You want to help the country? Look, we’re not going to change Lebanon and the Lebanese all at once; but if you want to help the country in a concrete way, help our institution.” In this sense, yes, I have confidence in the country’s future.
As of now, I dare say that despite the current difficult situation, I see Lebanon, as Isaiah says in his famous passage, flourishing again. I’m firmly convinced that we’re in for some hopeful times ahead. There is a lot of potential in this country, but we have to believe in it. However, we still have a lot of work ahead of us, let’s not kid ourselves. We need to rebuild a State that no longer exists or hardly exists at all. We need to get things back on track: elect a President (of the Republic), form a government, reform the Central Bank, and review the entire structure… Personally, I’d go even further: we need to seriously modify the Lebanese political system. This system, in place since 1989, is now out of breath. The signs of its failure and dysfunction are myriad. Is now the time to make this change? I’m not sure. But, one day or another, I hope we’ll get together with the Lebanese to discuss the question of “how to live together,” because what we suffer from most is that we don’t know how to live together. What does the “Lebanese message” mean today, in a realistic way that is far from poetic and spiritual? The answer is not very clear.
A final word for the French-language Ici Beyrouth site?
We’re delighted to have a French-language site because there aren’t many French-language newspapers or sites in Lebanon. As you can see from the book, our battle is also a battle to preserve the French-speaking side of the country. Once again, I repeat, this is not an ideological position. Ultimately, it’s selfish, but it’s selfish in both senses of the word: the Lebanese have every interest in promoting the French-speaking world, and France has every interest in supporting Lebanon because it’s also in its political, economic, and cultural interests to do so. In this book, I defend the meeting of two interests; we shouldn’t be ashamed to realize this and express it. Lebanon and France have an interest in defending the French-speaking world. For the Land of the Cedars, it remains a fundamental issue. I sincerely hope that your work on the Ici Beyrouth site will gain ground, so that you will always have more readers, and that more and more people will read and express themselves in French, so that the link between our two countries remains alive.
