International School of Choueifat

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The International School of Choueifat is a collection of international schools run by the SABIS school system in various countries of the Middle East. The first International School of Choueifat started in Choueifat, Lebanon in 1886 and later spread to various parts of the Gulf region. The first Choueifat school in the Gulf opened in Sharjah, UAE in 1975 and subsequently others opened in other cities across the Middle East. The Choueifat school also had a branch in Bath, England which was generally used as a summer school where students could study and learn sports during the harsh summers in the Middle East.

1 History
2 Reputation
3 Traditions
4 Student Life Organization
5 Examination System
6 Educational System
7 Famous alumni
8 Branches
9 External links

[edit] History

The International School of Choueifat - Lebanon is the mother school of the SABIS group of schools. It was established in the village of Choueifat, Lebanon in 1886 by Tanios Saad and Louisa Procter, an Irish woman who was teaching in the area. It was originally for girls only. In the 1890s Tanios Saad visited England to examine the British educational system. He led the school until his death in 1953.

The school was expanded and renovated under Charles Saad, who replaced Tanios. It opened its first overseas branch in Sharjah, UAE in 1975 and subsequently spread around the Gulf region. In 1983 the school had to relocate due to the Lebanese Civil War (but resumed its original location in 1991). Schools were opened in the UK in 1983 and the USA in 1985. Many more schools were opened in the Middle East, including 2 more schools in Lebanon: in Al-Koura, and in Adma.

[edit] Reputation

The Choueifat schools have a reputation for being among the premier schools in the Middle East. Being one of the oldest English-speaking schools in the region, Choueifat has a reputation for a rigorous academic curriculum as well as elitism. The curriculum has been criticized by teachers and students alike for being overly rigid and formulaic, as well as for a lack of emphasis on artistic activities. Some of the school's in-house text books (for example, a grade 7 reader glorifying the life of Ghengis Khan) have been criticised for advocating an ethos of ruthlessness and brutality in which victory over one's competitors justifies any means by which it is achieved. There also have been reports of verbal abuse in many branches as supervisors and teachers there seek to enforce an extreme code of discipline. The system has been criticised in the past for its lack of attention to harvesting potential for creativity-based futures for its students.

[edit] Traditions

With hundreds of Choueifat students, "Choueifatis" as they are popularly called in the Arab world, attending top universities across the world and occupying important positions in the world, the school has built a tradition of placing students' acceptance letters from the college they attended in their foyers.Choueifat has lost its reputation in the last few years with problems with student and not keeping up with the required standards The last day of secondary education is traditionally marked by Choueifat students on the last day of formal classes in the 12th grade. This last day of classes has traditionally been a day when the soon-to-be graduates let their hair down and indulge in a day of frolic. There is also a tradition of the graduating class planting a tree in the campus grounds with an accompanying plaque, as their legacy to the school. Several such trees with accompanying plaques can be found on the grounds of every Choueifat school.

[edit] Student Life Organization

Among the on-campus activities undertaken by the students is participation in the Student Life Organization, known as SLO among the students. This organization allows the students to actively take part in running their school. This organization is split into dozens of departments, including Academic, Discipline, Management, Sports, Activities and Newsletter, which are self-explanatory. Taking part in these activities leads to being awarded "Merit Points", which are mentioned in the student's transcript, and are quite helpful when trying to get acceptance in college. The school system unfortunately does not focus on character development since the priority for Choueifat is for its students to earn the best grades. Being in a conservative part of the world, there are no "sex education" courses at Choueifat, even though sexual reproduction topics are fully taught in high-level biology classes (beginning grade 9).

[edit] Examination System

The ISC conducts examinations nearly daily, so they take up as much as 7 hours out of the 35 hours in a typical study week. Although, in some extreme cases, this can reach up to 10 out of 48 class hours. Among these examinations are AMS, or Academic Monitoring System, exams, which are now being done on the newly-developed examination system, called ITL. This new examination system allows students to take their exams on a computer, and if the student fails, he or she is required to sit for a retake. Students may also be forced to come in on weekends to retake exams until they achieve an appropriate score on their test.

[edit] Educational System

The SABIS education system is a fusion of the British GCSE and US High School systems. The first 9 years of students' schooling is typical prep-school education. Students must take all of the following subjects in their first 9 years:

English (Grammar, Composition, Vocabulary, Reading and Comprehension)
2nd Language (usually either Arabic, Urdu or French, depending on branch)
3rd Language (optional, only offered grade 7 and above)
Mathematics (Algebra is introduced in grade 7; geometry is introduced in grade 8)
Social Studies (Geography and/or history)
Science (introduction to chemistry and physics, with emphasis on theoretical experimental analysis, e.g. controlled experiments, graphs)

Grade 9 students may take an optional self-study course in introductory Biology (students are expected to be in high academic standing to qualify). Grade 9 students are also offered an IGCSE (O Level) Computer Science course.

Once in grade 10, students must choose between contingency to either a Science (S) or Literary/Arts (L) section. In grades 10 and 11, students prepare for GCE/IGCSE O Level examinations, which are administered by the Edexcel International/London University Examinations and/or Cambridge International Examinations. Most of these tests are taken at the end of grade 11, even though select subjects might be accelerated and taken at the end of grade 10. Subjects offered in each section include, but are not limited to, the following:

Sciences:

Mathematics (accelerated 1-year course; GCE exam taken end of grade 10) *
Physics*
Chemistry*
Biology
English*
2nd Language (e.g. Arabic, Urdu, French) *
3rd Language (e.g. French)
Business Studies
Economics*
English Literature

Literature/Arts:

Mathematics (2-year course; GCE exam taken end of grade 11) *
Biology *
English *
English Literature
2nd Language *
3rd Language
Business Students
Economics *
History *

(* denotes compulsory course; you do not need to take the GCE exam, but you must take the course and sit internal examinations)

After completing the British GCE exams, in grade 12, students again have a choice between Science and Literature. Moreover, in grade 12, they pursue studies to take the College Board Advanced Placement examinations at the end of grade 12 and earn their high school diplomas (a minimum grade of 50% in at least 5 subjects is required). Moreover, students may prepare to take their GCE Advanced Levels (A Levels) at the end of grade 13 (A level courses are two-year courses, grade 12 and 13). Subjects offered are:

Sciences:

AP/GCE Computer Studies (AP Computer Science A and AB)
AP English Language and Composition
AP/GCE Chemistry
AP/GCE Biology
AP/GCE Physics (AP Physics B and C)
AP/GCE Mathematics (AP Calculus AB and BC)
AP Macroeconomics
GCE Macro+Micro Economics
2nd and 3rd Languages

Literature:

AP/GCE History
AP/GCE Art
AP English Language and Composition
GCE Business Studies
AP/GCE Biology
AP/GCE Mathematics (AP Calculus AB and BC)
AP Macroeconomics
GCE Macro+Micro Economics
2nd and 3rd Languages

Depending on the courses a student takes and the university he or she wishes to apply to, they can generally be qualified with 12 or 13 years of schooling.