“Achrafieh is our neighborhood, so having our 6 year-old daughter here is absolutely great, we’re so close to everything, we can pick her up and take her home by foot! It’s possible because my husband and I work near the school. At 2 pm we take her to an afterschool program where she can have lunch and do her homework. If we could not do that, the schools offer a transportation service.”

Even though she would love her children to experience a “more cosmopolitan” lifestyle, she believes that Achrafieh is an ideal place to grow and learn.

On the flipside, schools begin too early and it’s almost painful. Some schools have the kids coming in at 7:30 am and the streets become so crowded it’s almost impossible to drive through them, adding that it’s also the case in other areas of Beirut. She also mentions “many schools don’t have a restaurant for the kids. Some of the schools stop at 2:40 pm; it implies that the children won’t have lunch before 3 pm. This is not a very healthy lifestyle I think.”

What makes Achrafieh so special and different from other neighborhoods around Beirut? “In Hamra for example, you might have more secular schools. In Achrafieh, you have one secular school, Le Lycee Francais, and many Christian schools. Some people prefer to raise their children in a religious environment. For those, Achrafieh is definitely the place to be, even if there are, of course, other Christian schools in other areas of Beirut and Lebanon (Jdeideh, Baabda etc).

However, there’s always room for improvement. Adding lunchtime, creating space for more children and lowering tuition rates are some things Rita would love to see change in the future… What about you? Come and share your comments

on our Facebook page

!

• Highlight

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2013-09-05

What is it like having a child going to school in Achrafieh? We asked a mother: Rita, a communication professional, mother of 2, tells all!

“Achrafieh is our neighborhood, so having our 6 year-old daughter here is absolutely great, we’re so close to everything, we can pick her up and take her home by foot! It’s possible because my husband and I work near the school. At 2 pm we take her to an afterschool program where she can have lunch and do her homework. If we could not do that, the schools offer a transportation service.”

Even though she would love her children to experience a “more cosmopolitan” lifestyle, she believes that Achrafieh is an ideal place to grow and learn.

On the flipside, schools begin too early and it’s almost painful. Some schools have the kids coming in at 7:30 am and the streets become so crowded it’s almost impossible to drive through them, adding that it’s also the case in other areas of Beirut. She also mentions “many schools don’t have a restaurant for the kids. Some of the schools stop at 2:40 pm; it implies that the children won’t have lunch before 3 pm. This is not a very healthy lifestyle I think.”

What makes Achrafieh so special and different from other neighborhoods around Beirut? “In Hamra for example, you might have more secular schools. In Achrafieh, you have one secular school, Le Lycee Francais, and many Christian schools. Some people prefer to raise their children in a religious environment. For those, Achrafieh is definitely the place to be, even if there are, of course, other Christian schools in other areas of Beirut and Lebanon (Jdeideh, Baabda etc).

However, there’s always room for improvement. Adding lunchtime, creating space for more children and lowering tuition rates are some things Rita would love to see change in the future… What about you? Come and share your comments

on our Facebook page

!