SABIS^® School El-Metn Welcomes GBC-Education Delegation

Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2017

On May 6, 2016, H.E. Mr. Tom Fletcher, the current Director of the Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Education) and the former British Ambassador to Lebanon, visited the SABIS^® School El-Metn, a tuition-free, private school for low-income families, located in El-Mtein, Lebanon, as part of a UN mission.  Mr. Fletcher was accompanied by a representative of the UN and two global youth ambassadors from Theirworld.

The delegation was welcomed to SABIS^® El-Metn by Mrs. Leila Saad, Chairperson of the SABIS^® Group, Mr. Victor Saad, SABIS^® Vice President, and the school’s Director, Dr. Zakieh Naimeh. During their visit, the GBC-Education delegation enjoyed a tour of the purpose-built school campus and visited a number of classrooms, where they met with prefects from the SABIS Student Life Organization^®.  The prefects shared their stories of hope – how the school has helped shape their personalities, provided them with opportunities, and helped them, through education, get closer to realizing their dreams. The visitors also observed a KG3 Shadow Teacher^®, a student volunteer leading the class in instruction, and learned about how SABIS^® effectively incorporates proprietary IT tools including Smartboards and tablets in the classroom to enhance and improve learning.

The visit to SABIS^® El-Metn made a positive impression on Mr. Fletcher.  "I was excited to see for myself the work that SABIS^® is doing here to transform the lives of so many children,” he said.  He also offered words of praise for the SABIS^® founders, “The vision and compassion of [the SABIS^®] founders is matched by their determination to get results. It should inspire everyone who wants to help and challenge anyone who believes that it is difficult." 

SABIS^®’s Victor Saad commented on the visit:  “We are pleased to have welcomed the delegation to SABIS^® El-Metn, a school that we are very proud to have as a member of the SABIS^® Network and one that is fully sponsored by the SABIS^® foundation.  Beyond that, as a relatively new member of the GBC-Education and a for-profit organization, we welcome the opportunity to discuss and explore ways in which the private sector can be actively engaged in addressing challenging educational problems and developing practical, efficient, and sustainable learning solutions.”

SABIS^® School El-Metn is a member of the global SABIS^® Network, which was established in 1886 in the village of Choueifat, Lebanon.  Schools within the SABIS^®Network are known for their commitment to education and respected for their strong academic performance.  Today, the global SABIS^® Network educates 70,000 students in schools operating in the public and private sectors in 16 countries around the world.

For more information about the Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Education), visit gbc-education.org. To learn more about Theirworld charity projects, visit theirworld.org. For more information about SABIS^®, visit sabis.net.