Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais

Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais Mission Laïque Française
Address
Rue Beni Assaf, Achrafieh Beirut Lebanon
Information
Type	Private school
Established	1909
Founder	Mission laïque française
Principal	Fabienne Decaestecker
Faculty	180
Grades	1 - 15
Athletics	Swimming, ultimate, football, basketball, tennis, handball, ping-pong, gymnastics, acrogym, squash, volleyball, athletics
Affiliations	Mission laïque française
Languages	French, Latin, Arabic, English, Spanish, German, Italian
Website	http://www.glfl.edu.lb

The Grand Lycée Franco-Libanais (GLFL), is a prestigious French lycée in the Achrafieh district of Beirut founded in 1909 by the Mission laïque française. The institution is the flagship of all the other French lycees in Lebanon. Initially located in the Sodeco neighborhood, near the central Beirut district, it later moved to Beni Assaf St near the French embassy -in the Mathaf neighborhood. GLFL has ten buildings (five of which were conceived by the French planner Michel Ecochard) and also added a new athletic stadium on Damascus rd: "Le stade de Chayla" .

Background

File:MLF-GL05.jpg

Achrafieh buildings by Ecochard in 1961

Just over a century old, the Grand Lycée has made its way through Lebanese modern history. The conflict which began in 1975 marks the most serious crisis the Grand Lycée had ever faced. The buildings were badly damaged and due to their proximity to the Green Line, access was never easy. From 1996 to 2003, the Lycée undertook comprehensive renovations where all the "Ecochard" buildings were rehabilitated and new structures were constructed. The new Stade du Chayla was inaugurated on 25 March 2005.

Today

The school is fully operational and offers classes to more than 5,000 students. It remains the flagship institution of the Mission Laïque Française organization and leads the organization's eight established schools in Lebanon.

School departments include a 350 square meter library in which students can find a network of PCs intended for educational resources, as well as 27,000 books and literary archives including newspapers, novels, and magazines. A secondary library known as the BCD is also available to younger students. Six computer labs are available for students.

There are two basketball courts, a soccer field, and a gymnasium. Across the street, the brand new Stade du Chayla comprises a track-and-field playground, along with tennis, badminton, basketball and mini-soccer courts. The building includes table tennis and squash halls as well as an indoor swimming pool.

Notable alumni

• Samir Kassir, Journalist who was assassinated in Beirut in June 2005, member of the March 14 Alliance
• Gebran Tueni, MP and editor in chief of An-Nahar, assassinated in Beirut in December 2005. He spent his early years at the Grand Lycée, member of the March 14 Alliance.
• Fares Soueid, general secretary of the March 14 Coalition, ex-MP.
• Marwan Hamadeh, MP and Minister of Telecommunications, Economy, Trade and Health in successive governments. Survived an assassination attempt in Beirut October 2004. Member of the March 14 Coalition
• Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Author of The Black Swan

External links

• Grand Lycée Website in French
• Official alumni community
• The school's 1956 newsletter