Collège Saint Joseph - Antoura
| College Saint Joseph - Antoura | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
Antoura, Keserwan District, Mount Lebanon LEB |
|
| Information | |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic Church |
| Founded | 1651 |
| Founders | Congregation of the Mission |
| Head of school | Father Semaan Jamil |
| Number of students | 5000 |
| Average class size | 32 |
| Education system | French & Lebanese Baccalaureate |
| Language | French, English and Arabic |
| School color(s) | Red, Gold and Royal Blue |
| Accreditation | French Ministry of Education |
| Yearbook | Palmarès |
| Website | http://www.college-antoura.edu.lb |
The Collège Saint Joseph in Antoura, Lebanon, is the oldest French school in the Middle East. It was established in 1834 by the Lazarist priests, led by Fr. Andrew Francis. The school's current headmaster is Father Jamil Semaan and its student body comprises 5500 students. Located in the valley of Antoura, the campus consists of more than eight buildings with several courts and gardens. It is still considered today as one of the best schools in the country, being of the few accredited by the French Ministry of Education ("école homologuée"). The high school or "lycée" offers both the Lebanese and French baccalauriate programs with the possibility of a rather challenging intensive double baccalauriate program.
The school also accommodates the oldest scouts group in Lebanon. Previously members of the Scouts et Guides de France, the scouts and guides of Saint Joseph Antoura later joined the Scouts du Liban association when it was formed. The group is still one of the largest and most prominent scouts groups of the nation.
Antoura is well known for the visit of French poet Alphonse de Lamartine, who wrote about the school and the town.
As early as 1651, Cheikh Abou Nawfal Khazen asked the Jesuit Fathers to develop their mission on his lands in Antoura. In 1773,their efforts were realized. The Lazarists were given the mission to preach God's teaching. In 1834,The apostolic delegate, Monseigneur Auvergne encouraged the transformation of the mission into a teaching college. The Colleges beginnings were quite modest, in October 1834 seven students enrolled, thus forming the first secondary Francophile school in the Middle East. The college developed spectacularly. In 1874 the central building was built. the Left wing opened in 1884 and the big chapel was inaugurated in 1895. The symbol of the school, the tower was built in 1904 and seals the courtyard beautifully.
During World War I and the Armenian Genocide, the Lazarists were expelled by the Turks and the college was transformed into a Turkish orphanage where, under the direction of Djemal Pasha and Halide Edip Adıvar, about 1,000 Armenian and 200 Kurdish children were forcefully Turkified.
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Wikipedia