Canadian High School opened in Dawhat Aramoun in 2009 as an American-system school for families south of Beirut. Today it teaches the American and Lebanese curricula from Kindergarten to Grade 12, in English and Arabic, and is the founding school of the CEMS Education network.
Canadian High School (CHS) was founded in 2009 in Dawhat Aramoun, on the hills above the coast south of Beirut, to offer families in Aramoun, Bchamoun, Khalde, Choueifat and the surrounding towns an international education close to home. From the first year the school followed an American programme taught in English, with Arabic as a full subject so that children grow up fluent and confident in both.
The school grew with its families, one grade at a time, into a complete Kindergarten-to-Grade-12 campus. It also became the first school of what is now CEMS Education, a network of more than twenty schools and centres across Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Türkiye that share the standards and systems first developed here in Aramoun.
CHS teaches two curricula side by side. The American curriculum gives students an English-medium education with an international outlook, continuous assessment and the American High School Diploma. The Lebanese curriculum keeps students rooted in their own country and language. Arabic is taught as a core subject from Kindergarten, and students follow the national requirements through to the end of secondary school.
Our motto is learning to understand. We care less about memorising for a test and more about whether a child can explain an idea, ask a good question and use what they know. Classes are small enough that every teacher knows every child by name, which is what parents mention most when they describe the school.
Cognia. CHS has been accredited by Cognia, the US-based accreditation body behind NCA CASI, SACS CASI and NWAC, since June 2023. Accreditation means an external review of teaching, leadership, resources and results against international standards, with continuous improvement built into how the school is run.
Cambridge International. CHS is recognised by Cambridge Assessment International Education, which opens Cambridge qualifications and university pathways to our students.
British Council. CHS partners with the British Council for English-language standards and internationally recognised examinations.
College Board. High School students can take College Board Advanced Placement courses, and the school supports SAT preparation and university applications.
The name reflects the school's Canadian founders and the values the school was built on: respect, inclusion and a welcoming community. The curriculum taught at CHS is the American curriculum alongside the Lebanese national curriculum. CHS does not teach a Canadian provincial curriculum.
Being the founding school of CEMS Education means CHS families benefit from systems built for a whole network: the CEMS Portal app for attendance, schedules, homework and messaging, shared teacher training, and a standard of reporting that every CEMS school follows. Learn more about CEMS Education.
The best way to understand CHS is a visit. Book a tour, meet the team and see a school day in action.
