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International School of Geneva

(Redirected from La Grande Boissière)

The International School of Geneva (in French: École internationale de Genève), commonly known as Ecolint, is a private, non-profit international school based in Geneva, Switzerland.

  • International School of Geneva
  • École internationale de Genève
Location
Map

Switzerland
Information
TypeDay School
Established1924
Enrollment4500
Color(s)Navy Blue and White   
Websiteecolint.ch

Background

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Founded in 1924 in the service of the League of Nations and the International Labour Organization, it is the oldest international school.[1][2][3] It was the result of a partnership between parents (Arthur Sweetser and Ludwik Rajchman) and educators from the Institut Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Adolphe Ferrière and Paul Meyhoffer).[4]

In the mid-1960s, a group of teachers from Ecolint (La Grande Boissière campus) created the International Schools Examinations Syndicate (ISES), which later became the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and then the International Baccalaureate (IB).[5]

Since its inception, the school's mission has been conceived as educating for peace and the inculcation of humanitarian values such as inclusiveness, respect and inter-cultural understanding. It describes itself in its website as "resolutely not-for-profit; mankind is the only beneficiary of our work, not corporate shareholders or private equity firms".[6] In 2017, it was labelled by ITN as "the most diverse school on the planet".[7] Article 4 of Ecolint's Charter states that "the activity of the school in all fields and especially in the field of pedagogy shall be based on the principles of equality and solidarity among all peoples and of the equal value of all human beings without any distinction of nationality, race, sex, language or religion".[8]

Ecolint comprises three campuses in and around Geneva, each with its own principal (also known as "director") working under the Director General of the Foundation of the International School of Geneva and a Governing Board elected by parents, staff and alumni with members from the UN and Swiss Government.[9] Ecolint is a bilingual school, with instruction primarily in English and French. In addition to the IB, it is a testing centre for the US college boards (SAT and ACT) and the British IGCSE (CIE).[9] Ecolint is a member of the G30 Schools Group.[10]

History

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The history of Ecolint has been charted in four volumes published in different decades. The first, bilingual one (Ecole Internationale de Genève – Son premier demi-siècle / International School of Geneva – the first 50 years, Geneva: 1974, 311 pages), edited by René Lejeune (better known as René-François Lejeune), compiles the contributions and eyewitness accounts of various authors, including the historian Robert J. Leach and Ecolint's second director, Marie-Thérèse Maurette. The second one (Ecolint – A portrait of the International School of Geneva, 1924–1999, Geneva: 1999, 218 pages) was written by the historian Michael Knight. The third volume (Marie-Thérèse Maurette – Pioneer of International Education, Geneva: 2009, 84 pages), which focuses specifically on the director who headed the school between 1929 and 1949, was authored by Professor George Walker, former Director General of Ecolint and of the International Baccalaureate Organization. The fourth and final volume to date (Ecolint – A History of the International School of Geneva, Geneva: 2014, 170 pages) is the joint work of educators Conan de Wilde (an alumnus of the school) and Othman Hamayed (a former director of La Grande Boissière's Secondary School).[11] In addition, Robert J. Leach[12][13] published privately in 1974 his own account of the school’s history, International School of Geneva, 1924–1974 (63 pages). Most recently, the geographer and economist Phil Thomas, who served as interim Director General and held a wide range of teaching positions in the school during his 35-year Ecolint career, published the booklet Ecolint and the Origins of the International Baccalaureate in 2018.[14]

From 1920 to 1921 the League of Nations and the International Labour Office established their headquarters in Geneva. In 1924 the International School of Geneva was founded by senior members of these two international organizations, most notably Arthur Sweetser[15][16] and Ludwik Rajchman,[17][18] in partnership with Adolphe Ferrière and Paul Meyhoffer, educators from Geneva's Institut Jean-Jacques Rousseau.[9][19] Meyhoffer, originally trained as a theologian, had previously taught at Bedales School in England and, for eight years, at the Ecole Nouvelle de la Châtaigneraie (also known as Ecole Nouvelle du Léman), which in 1974 was integrated into Ecolint.[20]

Ferrière housed the first class in a chalet that was part of his family's estate, on the Route de Florissant in Geneva. He was also technical adviser to the school from 1924 to 1926. The nascent school was supported by William Rappard, Rector of the University of Geneva, the neurologist and child psychologist Édouard Claparède,[21] and Sir Arthur Salter, a senior official of the League of Nations. After occupying rented accommodation on the Rue Charles Bonnet in Geneva's Vieille ville (Old Town), the school finally acquired its own premises in 1929: a historic site known as La Grande Boissière.[22] The acquisition of this large property was made financially possible by Arthur Sweetser, who personally gave the school thousands of dollars and sought contributions from his network of affluent acquaintances. These donations included 25,000 U.S. dollars from John D. Rockefeller Jr.[23]

Among Ecolint’s notable teachers during the early decades of its existence were Paul Dupuy, formerly doyen (dean) at Paris’ Ecole normale supérieure and defender of Alfred Dreyfus in the late 1890s; the psychoanalyst Charles Baudouin; the philosopher Jeanne Hersch; and the novelist Michel Butor.

The school became a foundation in 1968, and continued to evolve as it acquired new campuses. In 1974 it incorporated as its second campus La Châtaigneraie (also called "La Chât"), which had originally been founded in 1908 as the Ecole Nouvelle La Châtaigneraie (later known as Collège Protestant Romand) near Founex in the Canton of Vaud.

Campuses

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  • La Grande Boissière (also called "LGB") is the largest of the three campuses and has been a part of Ecolint since 1929. The primary school (beginning from age three) has approximately 550 students, and runs through grade 4. The middle school also has about 550 students, and runs from grade 5 to grade 8. The secondary school has around 800 students, beginning with 9th grade and going to grade 12 or 13. All three stages offer bilingual programmes.[24]
  • La Châtaigneraie (also called "La Chât") became part of Ecolint in 1973 and is located in the Vaud countryside, near Founex, overlooking the Alps and Lake Léman. It has a primary and a secondary school, and has approximately 1600 students. Despite joining Ecolint after LGB, the oldest building on campus is the main secondary building which was completed in 1908, when La Châtaigneraie first opened, making it the oldest campus and longest-running educational establishment among the three.
  • Campus des Nations (also simply called "Nations") opened in 2005 and operates on two locations in and in the vicinity of Grand Saconnex. It has around 1000 students. Campus des Nations is the only campus to offer all four IB programmes (PYP, MYP, IBDP and IBCP).
  • Saconnex is located near the International Labour Organization and World Health Organization headquarters. Saconnex offers classes to 800 students from years 3 through 13. All classes taught at Nations follow the IB curriculum, consisting of PYP, MYP and DP or CP.[9]
  • Pregny (in Pregny-Chambésy) is located near the United Nations and Red Cross HQ and is a school of 200 students from pre-school and kindergarten to year 2.

Accreditation

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Swiss

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International School of Geneva's (upper) secondary education (middle and high school) is not listed as a Collège by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).[25] Nonetheless, education leading to the Maturité Fédérale (Federal Matura) is offered at the La Châtaigneraie campus, including the option to undertake the bilingual (English/French) Maturité.[26]

International

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Ecolint's various programmes are accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Middle States Association (MSA).[27][28]

Ecolint has satisfied the authorization procedures of the International Baccalaureate (IB) to offer the PYP, MYP, IBDP, and IBCP.[29]

Governance

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The Governing Board appoints the Director General to which the latter is accountable. All alumni, current parents, teachers and other employees may vote in the Governing Board elections and may be elected as members. Three seats are permanently reserved for members appointed by the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud, and by the United Nations. The school’s personnel are represented on the Board by three appointed or elected observers (one from each campus), and the Staff Association has the right to nominate for full membership someone who is not a current employee of the school.[8] Parents typically constitute a majority on the Governing Board.[30] Kofi Annan was a member of the Board from 1981 to 1983.[31] Ecolint’s governance was inspired by the direct democratic mechanisms of Switzerland. The Governing Board is accountable to all community members (parents, personnel and alumni) at the annual Consultative General Assembly and, when convened by members of the Ecolint community, at Extraordinary Consultative General Assemblies.[8] In February 2002, one of these assemblies, held at the United Nations, was attended by some 1,000 people.[32] It gave rise to a no-confidence referendum in June of that year involving all the school's eligible voters, the outcome of which forced the resignation of both the Governing Board’s Executive Committee and of the Director General.[33]

Notable alumni

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See also: Category:International School of Geneva alumni

The Charter of the International School of Geneva gives all registered alumni the right to vote in the elections for the school's Governing Board, and to be elected as Governing Board members.[8]

Politics

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Science and medicine

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Visual and performing arts

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Literature

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Law

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Journalism

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Economics

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Academia and scholarship

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Others

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  •  
    La Loge and Vieille Maison at "LGB" Campus
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    La Châtaigneraie Campus
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    The Greek Theatre at La Grande Boissière Campus
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    Main entrance at La Grande Boissière Campus
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    Grand Bâtiment at La Grande Boissière Campus
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    Playing Fields at La Grande Boissière Campus
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    Le Château at La Grande Boissière Campus
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    Cafeteria at La Grande Boissière Campus

References

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  1. ^ Pearce, Richard (2013). International Education and Schools: Moving Beyond the First 40 Years. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781472509147.
  2. ^ "Where are they now? - International Baccalaureate®".
  3. ^ "International Baccalaureate Diploma | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  4. ^ Ecole Internationale de Genève – Son premier demi-siècle / International School of Geneva – the first 50 years, Geneva: 1974, 311 pages, edited by René-François Lejeune
  5. ^ Elisabeth Fox (2001). "The Emergence of the International Baccalaureate as an Impetus to Curriculum Reform". In Mary Hayden; Jeff Thompson (eds.). International Education: Principles and Practice (2nd ed.). Routledge. p. 141. ISBN 9780749436162.
  6. ^ "Why Ecolint?". 24 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Newly launched programme tells the story of the IB's global community to mark 50th anniversary". International Baccalaureate. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  8. ^ a b c d "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ a b c d "Ecolint – International School of Geneva". Ecolint.ch. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  10. ^ "G30 Schools – A gathering of interesting and like-minded school heads". G30 Schools. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  11. ^ Rodriguez-Giovo, Alejandro (Spring 2016). "A brief history of Ecolint histories" (PDF). Echo. No. 18. International School of Geneva. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  12. ^ "Guide to the Robert J. Leach papers, 1930-2002". rmc.library.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  13. ^ "echo - Issue 19 - Autumn 2016 by International School of Geneva - Issuu". issuu.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  14. ^ Thomas, Phil. "Ecolint and the origins of the International Baccalaureate" (PDF). International School of Geneva.
  15. ^ "Arthur Sweetser". alumni.ecolint.net. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  16. ^ "Sweetser, Arthur, 1888-1968 - Social Networks and Archival Context". snaccooperative.org. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  17. ^ Rodriguez-Giovo, Alejandro (Autumn 2015). "The Noblest Ecolintian Of Them All" (PDF). Echo. International School of Geneva. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-04-24. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  18. ^ "OHCHR | Keynote speech by Mr. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Conference on "Education for Peace" Palais des Nations, Geneva, 14 January 2015". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  19. ^ "L'Institut Jean-Jacques Rousseau". February 2013.
  20. ^ René-François Lejeune (editor), Ecole Internationale de Genève – Son premier demi-siècle / International School of Geneva – the first 50 years, Geneva: 1974, page 14
  21. ^ "Édouard Claparède | Swiss educator and psychologist | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  22. ^ "Chemin de la Petite-Boissière | Noms géographiques du canton de Genève". ge.ch (in French). Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  23. ^ Othman Hamayed and Conan de Wilde, Ecolint – A History of the International School of Geneva, Geneva: 2014, ISBN 978-2-8399-1196-2, page 25
  24. ^ "La Grande Boissière". Ecolint | International School of Geneva. 2016-03-20. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  25. ^ "Maturität – Maturité – Maturità" (official site) (in German, French, and Italian). Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, SERI. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  26. ^ "Diplomas | International School of Geneva". www.ecolint.ch. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  27. ^ "International School of Geneva: Campus des Nations". The Good Schools Guide. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  28. ^ "school profile nations 2014–2015" (PDF).
  29. ^ "International School of Geneva – Campus des Nations". International Baccalaureate®. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  30. ^ "Our Governing Board". Ecolint | International School of Geneva. 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  31. ^ "Echo 21 (Fall 2017) by International School of Geneva - Issuu".
  32. ^ Tribune de Genève, 28/02/2002, "L'Ecole Internationale a crevé l'abcès: la communauté désavoue la direction" www.tdg.ch
  33. ^ Othman Hamayed and Conan de Wilde, Ecolint – A History of the International School of Geneva, Geneva: 2014, ISBN 978-2-8399-1196-2, page 154
  34. ^ "???". Echo. No. 21. International School of Geneva. p. 16 – via issuu.com.
  35. ^ "Indira Gandhi 'greatest woman'". BBC News.
  36. ^ a b "Search Results – Ecolint Alumni Office". Alumni.ecolint.ch. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  37. ^ "echo Magazine 28 (Summer 2022) by International School of Geneva - Issuu". issuu.com. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  38. ^ "Souvenirs and vignettes of my Ecolint stay (1939–47) – Ecolint Alumni Office". Alumni.ecolint.ch. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  39. ^ "echo Magazine 28 (Summer 2022) by International School of Geneva - Issuu". issuu.com. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  40. ^ "echo Magazine 28 (Summer 2022) by International School of Geneva - Issuu". issuu.com. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  41. ^ "echo Magazine 28 (Summer 2022) by International School of Geneva - Issuu". issuu.com. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  42. ^ Rose, Hilary. "'We have taken a great step towards eradicating Covid, but it's a first step'".
  43. ^ "echo Magazine 28 (Summer 2022) by International School of Geneva - Issuu". issuu.com. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  44. ^ "Ecolint Alumni: Maya Stojan". International School of Geneva. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  45. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (2019-12-31). "Sonny Mehta, Venerable Knopf Publisher, Is Dead at 77". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
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46°11′55″N 6°10′21″E / 46.19861°N 6.17250°E / 46.19861; 6.17250

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