What are the schools in Maadi like?

"If you have elementary-aged children, you will probably be okay. If you have 6th grade and above, you should seriously consider your decision to relocate to this school. Your child may do just fine but do you want to run the risk that they won't? Too many children and families have bad experiences at this school, although you will have to dig deep to find this out if you visit the school. Many people are oblivious to this and will tell you that CAC is the greatest! We certainly know that all schools have problems and that no school is perfect. We were not expecting a perfect school but we had hoped for better, based on CAC's reputation. The main problem with CAC is that they want to believe they are the greatest international school available(maybe they once were) and they are perfectly happy to skate by on their version of their reputation. There is a lack of willingness to admit some things need improving upon and a an even greater lack to actually do something about it. The Headmaster/Superintendent is being replaced for the upcoming (2004-2005) school year which will, hopefully, bring about some much-needed change. The various principals are adequate (MS having the best) but they have all been constrained by the outgoing Superintendent. The Athletic Director is young and seems eager but has also had his hands tied this year. There are some fine teachers but there are a whole lot that need to retire or disappear. Often, good teachers who try to change the system are non-renewed or gotten rid of. This seems to be actually encouraged by many teachers who are quite content with the way things are, since it is to their benefit. If you have an innovative, energetic teacher, be prepared to have them gone after a year or two. Typically in an international school setting, there is a high teacher turnover. That is not the case at CAC. Many teachers have been here for years. The pay is good, housing is provided, and Egypt is a cheap place to live. This leads to a certain complacent attitude. At this school, the teachers run the school and school issues are most often decided on what the teachers want or what is best for them. Not on what the parents want or what is best for the students, which is what one expects when paying for a private school education. There just seems to be a malaise at the school. There is almost a fear among parents to complain about anything, at least directly to the school. Instead, they complain frequently away from school but parents seem very unwilling to try to change the school due to a fear of retaliation. If you do have a problem with the school or feel that your child has been treated unfairly, there is basically no recourse. You will be directed to the Administration, who will send you to the Board. The Board's main function seems to be to serve as a cheerleading squad for the administration. Please know that you and your child will basically have no civil rights at this school. They can expell you on a whim, suspend on suspicion, randomly drug and alcohol test your children from Middle School age and up, etc. The school actually has rules in place that allows and encourages teachers, parents, or other students to turn in students who might be using alcohol/cigarettes/drugs away from the school. Needless to say, this is a completely dysfunctional way to run a school and a great way to breed mistrust. What we expected to find was a diverse international school setting that welcomed and applauded its diversity and many cultures. What we found at CAC is a very rigid, morally inflexible private school. There are a diverse group of students and families but the school does not celebrate that diversity. The school policy and enforcement of rules seems very narrow-minded and seems based on the Administrations' personal moral system versus the community's more culturally diverse moral system. You might as well be attending a small school back in the Bible Belt as attend CAC. If you are fine with that, you will probably love it. If you have had any other international experience, you are going to feel quite constrained and be amazed that the most conservative American culture system is what rules here, not a more diverse system based on and reflecting the many cultures present at the school. If you have to move to Egypt and an American curriculum is required, this is your only option. Cairo has been a wonderful experience, apart from our experience at CAC. If you must enroll your child at CAC, please go in with open eyes and lowered expectations and you will probably do fine. There are some lovely children and parents here and some good faculty members. Just take off those rose-colored glasses the CAC Registrar hands you when you visit and do some active questioning. Good luck," explained one expat living in Maadi, Egypt.

"The schools in Maadi offer a wide range of educational options, from private international schools with classes taught in English, to private national schools with classes taught in Arabic, to public schools. The quality of education provided in the schools in Maadi vary, with some providing excellent teaching and facilities and others providing more basic amenities. Additionally, many schools in Maadi offer extra-curricular activities such as music, sports, art, and drama," said one parent with children at in Maadi.