What happened to Pinewood College Beirut?

Answer 1

It was established in 1960/61 by a group of eminent educators, including Drs. Khalil Georr, who was President of the Higher Teacher Training Institute, Dr. Farid Najjar, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Dr. Naim Atiyeh, Associate Professor at the American University of Beirut, and other specialists. The name reflects, not only the green look of its wooded campus at the start of Airport Boulevard, but mostly the new approach to education that was pioneered. The group sought to demonstrate the possibility of offering a liberal high school program, within the framework of the Lebanese laws of education, breaking with traditional methods of teaching, without the risk of clash with the established school system . Pinewood College started with a preschool program, leading gradually to higher levels, up to the Baccalaureate degree level. It followed a liberal policy of admissions, making room for all students of age level, regardless of attainment. Qualifying students were placed where fitting, while failing and weaker ones were directed to special classes for remedial work and further preparation before integration into the regular stream of classes. Modern techniques of teaching-learning were introduced for the first time, a School Psychology unit was established, also for the first time in Lebanon. The work of school psychologists was devoted to three concerns: to train teachers one full month before school opening in new methods of teaching and classroom management; to provide individualized counseling and treatment, with supervision of special resource units oriented toward remedial and developmental teaching; to convene a parent-teacher association for a better understanding of home environment;Three languages were required of all: Arabic, French and English.

The school continued to grow and prosper until the beginning of the civil war in Lebanon in 1975. To the regret of the many eminent graduates who had witnessed its innovative spirit and methodology, it was then closed , and its faculty dispersed with no expectation for resuming .