The International School of Choueifat (ISC) is a collection of international private schools run by the SABIS school system in various countries of the Middle East. The first International School of Choueifat was founded in Choueifat, Lebanon in 1886 and later spread to various parts of the Persian Gulf region. The first Choueifat school in the Persian Gulf opened in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates in 1975 and subsequently others opened in other cities across the Middle East. Since 1983 the School has also had a branch at Ashwicke Hall on the old Roman Fosse Way near Bath in England, which is also used as a summer school where students can study and learn sports during the harsh summers in the Middle East. In 1985 a branch was opened at Minneapolis in the US.
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ISC is known for its strict discipline (including the frequent use of detention) and a heavy emphasis on excelling. The Abu Dhabi branch was engulfed in a scandal that involved the physical abuse of an eight-year-old boy.
The education of women has been an emphasis of the School since its inception. Prominent alumni include the educator Leila Saad and the novelist Emily Nasrallah. The school is academically strong and focus on math and English language.
Controversy
On July 17, 2014, Lebanese Education Minister Elias Bou Saab quoted SABIS School new regulations banning crosses while allowing hijab as a violation of student freedom of religion granted by Articles 9 and 10 of the Lebanese Constitution.
The statement came one month after the International School of Choueifat, a supposedly secular educational facility, failed to abide by its rules mandating that students are not to be discriminated based on religion, sect or anything else of the matter. SABIS new regulations prevents students with a Christian cross sign from accessing classrooms, however allowing Hijab, a Muslim symbol.