Saint Mary'S Orthodox College (Smoc)

The historical background of our school has always been rich and deeply rooted in the community and the neighborhood that it serves. After the construction of the “Dormition of the Virgin Church” around 1890 in West Beirut, two elementary schools were established adjacent to it: one for boys and the other one for girls. The schools were renowned for the impeccable discipline they offered and for catering for the children’s physical and mental growth. In the early days of the Independence, the two schools were considered public schools, and hence, they were under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. Consequently and in order to accommodate for the continuous demand and growing need for education, the girls’ section was expanded. Later, a mixed school, which the area was most in need of, was established. However, the boys’ school, which was located in the courtyard of the church, remained at the time under the custody of the Ministry of Education until 1979. In 1979, the boys’ school was demolished for the expansion of the church, and simultaneously, two floors were added to the girls’ school. Thus was born Saint Mary’s Orthodox College, the one we know today. Furthermore, the constant growth and rise in numbers of learners from 1193 learners to 1493 learners throughout the past decade mandated a renovation of the Ras Beirut Campus and Mar Elias Msaytbeh in order to move the Secondary Division. Renovating and equipping the new campus was concluded in 2018-2019, and the campus was ready to receive the Secondary learners and serve the new educational and academic approach. This surely increased the capacity of Saint Mary’s Orthodox College. One of the original objectives of the school was to give quality education that was in line with the world’s requirement. Emphasis was also on the co-existence of the intellectual, cultural, and social blending among different communities as a living example that was rarely seen in Lebanon.