The NileView

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the class of 1983 of Collège de La Sainte Famille

I am writing this edition of the NileView because this month marks 40 years since I graduated from high school—Collège de la Sainte Famille (CSF). Together with many of my schoolmates and lifetime friends from Promotion ’83—who live in different parts of the world today—we plan to have a class reunion in Egypt this coming October to celebrate this special occasion.

The college has a long history and a legacy of shaping generations of movers and shakers who make a difference in society. It is a private French college for boys established in Cairo in 1879 based on a request from Pope Leo XIII (1810–1903), who reigned as Pope from 1878 until 1903. The goal of establishing the college was to avail a seminary to educate Coptic and Catholic priests and promote the education of young Egyptians as an integral element of its portfolio of community development services in Egypt.

During the 19^th century, private missionary educational institutions contributed to the society in Egypt through quality education coupled with diversity and exposure to the different cultures they represented, including French, English, German, Italian, Greek, Armenian, and others. One of those institutions that stands out is Collège de la Sainte Famille. It is a Jesuits college and one of the many notable educational institutions, whether secondary schools, colleges, or universities, founded and managed around the world by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the Catholic Church. The society was founded in 1540. Today, it has an extensive portfolio of education, research, and cultural activities in 112 countries. 

The first cohort enrolled at the Collège de la Sainte Famille included 16 students. They attended the first few years of schooling at the Boghos Palace in the El-Mouski district, downtown Cairo. In 1882, the building that houses today’s college was established––not too far from the palace––in the district of Faggala. By then, the student body had grown exponentially to 112. The college’s various other buildings present today were subsequently built, starting with the church in 1891, the theatre in 1892, the preparatory phase building in 1925, the primary phase building in Faggala known as Petit Collège du Caire (PCC) in 1930, and Heliopolis Petit Collège d’Heliopolis (PCH) in 1934. In 1930, the college had more than 600 students from several countries, including France, Switzerland, Spain, Persia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Czechoslovakia, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the Kingdoms of Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, and Egypt. Back in the 1930s––almost a century ago––this was an exemplary case of what is known today in education as internationalization with students from different countries. Such a diverse mix is an essential component in the student-centered learning experience that most schools and colleges talk about today as an integral element in exposing students to different societies, cultures, and values.

Since its inception, the college’s pedagogical approach, curriculum, and the student’s exposure to various perspectives, ideas, and views represented key components in shaping a long list of distinguished accomplished alums who excelled in different walks of life. Many went on to become successful entrepreneurs, policymakers, government officials, diplomats, lawyers, bankers, engineers, doctors, academics, as well as influential leaders across almost all business and economic sectors in Egypt and the many countries where a large percentage of alums reside, especially in francophone countries such as France, Canada, Switzerland, and Belgium. There is no way to list them all, and mentioning some might risk offending others; I will not fall into that trap. I will simply say that the generations of the Collège de la Sainte Famillealums since the latter part of the 19^th century have consistently contributed positively to society.

However, despite the college’s impeccable history, influential alums, and instrumental impact on society for many years, its role would not have been effectively accomplished without the role played at home. In my view, education starts at home. Family is the first schooling institution in everyone’s life. What children observe, listen to, learn from, and interact with during their early days and with their families is an integral element in developing their personality, shaping their character, creating their value system, and formulating their cultural orientation and understanding of the world’s differences and similarities.

In Egypt, as in many other societies, the role played at home in each child’s learning journey has subsided in recent decades, leaving schools that already have their challenges to do it almost all by themselves. This shift could be due to the economic pressures where both parents are obliged to work or the change in working hours that have since the 1990s become much longer––if not continuous––due to various communication and interconnectivity channels irrespective of time and distance. It could also be due to the emergence of Generation Y (the millennials, also called the digital natives) and Generation Z, who prefer the company of their digital gadgets over anyone else.

Whatever the reason is, the diminishing role played at home disrupts the balance of the learning formula of children because, in many ways, the dynamics of the role of the family are invaluable, irreplaceable, and complements, if not precedes, the role played by the school. In general, the role played at home as it used to be is now missing from the equation or at least is very different. As they usually say, it takes two to tango. In this case, the home-school duet has been and will always have an essential effect on the character, behavior, attitude, and upbringing of today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders and agents of change.

In the context of Egypt, the massive growth in population and the need to provide universal access to education for free—even if such a policy had some theoretical and conceptual good intentions––has led to a considerable deterioration in the quality of education. The reality on the ground is that for three-quarters of a century, such policy, coupled with the lack of vision and purpose-driven investments in what Egypt wants from the K-12 education space as an essential base-building phase for higher education and vocational training, had implications on the students and learners readiness in terms of essential skills set, practical exposure and relevant knowledge to excel in a constantly transformative global marketplace.

However, despite the challenges faced in the education sector, the Collège de la Sainte Famille was second to none and a beacon of quality education. It provided a solid foundation for its students to build on—some would only realize that later in their careers. The learning approach utilized, the content studied, the skills taught, the exposure availed, and the values communicated, amongst many other invaluable learning and educational elements, represented aspects that made the college’s alums different and singled them out compared to their peers in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa. In reality, it was and, in many ways, still customary in Egypt when someone spoke or reacted in a certain way that others would ask him, “Are you a Jesuits’ college alum?” It is a brand that is well-appreciated and respected in society. In short, the Jesuits’ college experience was unique, effective, and impactful.

The knowledge and discipline acquired during the early years—at home and school— are invaluable in one’s personal and professional journeys and how they affect those around them. Naturally, I am a bit biased toward my college. However, on a more fact-checking note, the generations of alums over the past 144 years genuinely represent an exceptional breed that, more often than not, excelled in their domain of expertise and impacted society. The forte of the college—besides the curricular and extracurricular activities—has always been manifested in shaping a solid student character and personality. The learning style was designed to prepare students to be disciplined, principled, confident, respectful, committed, analytical, trustworthy, persistent, adapting to pressure, organized, collegial, hardworking, and often perfectionist. In addition, the college delivered generations of alums with good leadership skills who always keep an eye on the macro-strategic level––the big picture as the main drive––while meticulously focusing on micro-level details. These are the genuine traits of a true CSF alum.

I was fortunate and blessed to have had parents who ensured that I was given the correct orientation and care at home, coupled with a proper education and a learning experience at a top school; such a blend is instrumental and vital for every child to be put on the right career path early on. This formula was present and visible in virtually all households in Egypt regardless of socioeconomic class, which is, unfortunately, in different ways missing today because of the changing dynamics at home for the aforementioned reasons coupled with the lack of quality schools that can keep up with the ever-growing population. This is reflected in the diminishing quality of graduates coming out of the educational system and demonstrated through their lack of readiness for the different and changing market needs. Given the ample opportunities enabled through innovative learning approaches, this has to change, and there is no reason it cannot. However, it is important to understand that this requires a collective societal effort that starts at home, with an invaluable role played by the school and supported by an enabling environment that includes as integral elements in the learning journey proper cultural orientation, informative media campaigns, engaging community projects, and diverse sports activities from a young age.

As my classmates and I prepare to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of our class in a few months, I sincerely hope that the proper blend of the dual role of the family at home and the quality education offered at the school is once again reconfigured to serve the next generations of leaders in Egypt and across different societies. The home and school roles complement each other. It is a compelling duet, and their combined influence will become increasingly important as societies around the world regularly navigate a complex and challenging environment marred with disruptions and impediments yet blessed with more innovative opportunities and prospects through investing in society’s most precious asset—people­­––to realize inclusive socioeconomic development and growth.

Félicitations mes très cher amis et je vous souhaite tous une vie joyeuse pleine de bonne santé et succès.

About the author: Sherif Kamel is a Professor of Management and Dean of the School of Business at The American University in Cairo.

29 June 2023
Issue #31