Zgharta Zawie Online Magazine

Zawieh Caza - Zgharta the Zgharta Zawieh online magazine

The schools in Zgharta

1- Mar Youssef School: One of the oldest schools sponsored by the Maronite Church authorities. The Bishop Gerges Obeid Al-Ehdeni inaugurated this school in 1695 in a building next to Notre-Dame (Saydet) of Zgharta. In 1696, the Bishop added a second floor as boarding rooms for teachers. Of the first teachers in this school is the famous Abdallah Kara'ali and Fr. Gibraiil Farhat.

In 1723, the school administration was handed to the Jesuits till the year 1773 when the later left Lebanon. The Archdiocese of Zgharta took care of the school for 60 consecutive years till 1834. Then came back the Jesuits who claimed that the school was their possession and a legal conflict opposed them to the Archdiocese. In 1844, the Archdiocese of Zgharta no longer existed and the school was ruled by the "Wakf" (a local institution that manages the lands of the local Church" till it closed down by the middle of the 1850ies.

In 1881, the Mgr. Boulos Hanna Deeb Saadeh, restored the school building and reactivated the school and acted as school principal till the tear 1898. Mgr. Boulos Youssef Moawad succeeded Mgr. Saadeh till the year 1905 when the administration was handed over to the "Freres des Ecoles Chretiennes" who left the school in 1908 because of political differences between multiple factions in Zgharta.

In 1910, Mgr. Boulos Youssef Moawad reopened the school but in 1914 with the advent of World War I, the school was closed and remained so till 1921. In 1924 the "Freres des Ecoles Chretiennes" tried to reopen the school. They restored it and classes resumed till 1926 when they definitely left Zgharta due to the political and "tribal" conflicts in the town.

In 1933, Fr. Semaan Aakleh was appointed "School Principal" till the year 1940 when a "new" close down was inflicted. Finally in 1947, the Lebanese Government rented the building and established a Public Shool still active today.

2- School of Deir Mar Sarkis: In 1908, the Antonnine Monk Semaan Aakleh opened a free of charge school in Deir Mar Sarkis Zgharta. The school closed down in 1914 to be reopened in 1953 with the appointment of Fr. Semaan Douaihy as school principal. It closed down in 1958 because of the civil war.

3- The School of "Filles de la Charité": In 1903, the Lazarists Sisters or "Filles de la Charité", established a school for girls. They rented first a building in "Haret Mikhaiil Bey Karam", then the Maronite Patriarch gave them a land parcel to build their own school. The school is celebrating its 100 years anniversary in serving the community.

4- The Antonnine Sisters School: In 1950, the Sisters of the Antonnine Order came to Zgharta, rented the house of Shekh Assaad Semaan Boulos and opened a school for girls. In 1954 they built a new school on a parcel of land belonging to Deir Mar Sarkis. In the 1970ies, and because of the need to a new and bigger building and because the overpopulated area where the school was, the Sisters built a college in Khaldieh and kept the old school as a half-tuition fees school for elementary education.

5 – The Public Schools:

- A school for boys (First Complementary for Boys) providing elementary and complementary educational stages in the Aabi region. Established in 1954. Of the School Principals were: Hanna Joukhadar from Karabash and George Abou Daher.

- A school for boys (the Second Official School for Boys) in the old "Mar Youssef School" building near Saydet Zgharta. Established 1947. Of the School Principals were: Tannous Fares from Batroun, Nassif Yammine from Deir Al-Kamar, Elias Deeb from Joun, Massaad Fayad from Kfar'akkah, Fouad Aamoudi from Jbeil, George Nakhleh, Youssef Zaidan and Tannous Douaihy.

- A school for girls (the Second Official School for Girls) providing elementary and complementary educational stages in the old "Serail" building. Established in 1961

- A school for girls (First Complementary for Girls) in the house of Sheikh Jamil Shukri Karam. Established in 1961.

- A third school (Namouzajieh) for girls. Established in 1970.

- A high school established in 1962.

- A school for raising teachers "Dar Al-Mou'allemine"

- The Technical School was established in 1969.