Alizey Iqbal
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I am a mom of two, a proud Pakistani who lives between the US and Pakistan and a foodie! I live in Islamabad with my family and I love tellings stories about this city.
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Best Schools in Islamabad (Preschool & Primary)
So, you've bravely decided to navigate the thrilling, occasionally tear-inducing, world of Islamabad school selection. Congratulations! You’ve found an out of the box perspective here! When I moved back to Islamabad after years spent in the US, I wasn’t sure how much time we would be here for. Was it going to be 3 to 4 years? Or much more? I had to strategise and when I started researching schools for my 4-year-old daughter and my 9-year-old son, I was looking for one that would allow my kids to easily re-integrate in an American or European school, but would also prepare my kids to do well in a higher-grade good local school. Now, one reason I was excited to move back to Pakistan was because I was seeing the negative influence other children in the US seemed to have on my kids. Respect for elders is a thing of the past there and watching the way my eldest classmates were speaking to their parents simply shocked me, and I am not even from a religious or conservative background. So, I was looking forward to a more respectful environment. So, what would I recommend for families who have come back to Pakistan and are settling in Islamabad after living abroad? Things to keep in mind If like me you are looking to enroll younger children, prefer home-based, smaller set-ups in large houses. It might be counter-intuitive, thinking that a “purpose-built campus” also means more facilities and more “value for your money”, but the bigger the campus, the more spaces and opportunities there are for bullying. And after our experience in the US, I absolutely wanted to avoid that. Most expensive doesn’t necessarily mean best. I have visited schools that had pristine lawns, huge premises and what looked like impressive extra-curricular programs such as “Robotics” and “Entrepreneurship programs” but most of it turned out to be gimmicks. The lawn was there for decoration and barely ever used by the kids, the beauty of the building doesn’t guarantee the quality of teaching. As for complex curricular activities, I see it as something that is perfect for high-schoolers not for younger kids. Don’t let yourself be fooled. What matters most is the TEACHERS! Ask other parents who have similar values to yours for their recommendations. A big issue schools seem to be facing nowadays is “bully parents” who treat the teachers and staff badly and do not meet any consequence. Schools established and run by educationists are very different from those established by business people. The owners of the latter type of schools are not involved in the school and their priority is first to not lose the students even when the concerned parents are rude to the staff. That completely demotivates the staff and it always affects the kids. Beware of the IB Curriculum in Islamabad. I have friends who themselves went to IB World schools in Europe and thought it was the best experience in their lives, but in Pakistan (maybe less so in Karachi or Lahore, but definitely in Islamabad) teachers are not used to this style of teaching. They are pros at “compartmentalizing” subjects. Project-based teaching for young children here often ends up being mostly play. And while I do want my children to play, I also want them to acquire solid foundational knowledge. Do your research! Often the most famous, obvious, big systems schools are not the ones that will really nurture your children. My in-laws were both educationists and it’s thanks to them that I was able to navigate all these potential traps. When we arrived, they had already prepared a list for me and this is why you won’t see big names such as “Beaconhouse” and “Roots Millenium” in this list. So, here are the schools we visited and at the end I’ll share which school we ended up choosing! The 5 Best Islamabad Schools I would recommend visiting Ecole des Lumieres – F-11 This is a run by a French woman and her husband, it has got a very good reputation among expats but seems to still be something of a hidden gem. A friend of mine, who also recommended it, called it a “boutique school” when she was describing it to me, so that made me curious. Pros - Small class sizes with up to 3 teachers per class - Very strong English Jolly phonics program, and unlike other schools, they really care about Urdu as well. - No interactive screens / no tablet or mobiles for the kids - No junk food allowed – they’re actually quite strict about it - Kids have sports everyday - Different campus for preschool and primary, which means the youngest are not mixed with the elder kids. - In F-11 so close to my house Cons - No uniform - No purpose-built campus (for me it’s a pro, but I know for some it’s a con). Preparatory School Islamabad (PSI) – Diplomatic Enclave This school has a solid reputation and I like that it is a single campus school. My in-laws know several people (adults) who have themselves studies in PSI and who are successful professionals, so that speaks for the school. Pros - Single campus school - Older, well-trained teachers who have - Well-disciplined students - Focus on academics and knowledge - They use the Jolly Phonics Program which is very effective - They have good sports facilities Cons - It’s in the Diplomatic Enclave, and I am told every time there is protest (“dharnas”, etc…) the access to the school can be difficult. Also, that’s too far from my home and in case of emergency I want to be close to my children. - The way you are spoken to on the phone if you are not “someone important” and/or don’t have a reference is quite aloof, if not rude. Not sure how parents are treated once they have enrolled their children. EMS School – H11 My in-laws insisted that I visit this school because they know the person who started it. The campus looks nice, but it felt like too conservative an environment for my kids, with children mostly speaking Urdu in class and common spaces. I still want my kids to feel comfortable once they go back to the US and I want their English to be fluent. Pros - Older experienced teachers - Disciplined environment - Good A-Levels results - Good sports facilities Cons - In H-11 so much further from my house - Conservative environment Super-Nova – F7 & F8 This school was recommended to me by my in-laws as well because of the strong academic focus. One of the first things they tell you when you visit is to not expect lots of events and school trips, that they care about the academics most. In summary “forget about fun, you’re here to work”. That was a bit of a turn off. I want my kids to have strong foundations but I also want them to enjoy going to school. Pros - Owners are educationists - Strong academics - Good teachers - Good O/A Levels rankings - Home-based instead of big building, and separate building for preschool and primary. Cons - Very little to no extra-curricular activities - Sports only twice a week - Not enough focus on character building - Very little focus on public speaking and building a child’s personality Edopia – Bani Gala This is a school I heard about from a friend who used to have her kids in this school. She told me they looked at education in a very different way with a focus on skills rather than knowledge content and a “democratic way” of teaching. That made me quite curious. Pro - The owner, Ms. Javeria, posts really interesting content on their Instagram page. - The philosophy of the school is very attractive - The school premises look really good - The kids look very free and able to make choices and decisions. Cons - The structure of the school seems “ifish”, as if they are still looking for their footing. - I am told that the owner, Ms. Javeria, doesn’t actually live in Islamabad but abroad, and is not as accessible as the video may let you think. - I could not really understand what was the teaching/learning material that was going to be used by the children. Since I want to be able to work with my kids, I wasn’t quite sure how that was going to happen. - They are located in Bani Gala, for me that’s just too far. Which school did I end up choosing? It took us a lot of time and quite a bit of research with my husband to finally make our decision. I put Ecole at the top of the list but it’s actually the last school we visited, a bit last minute. And when we did, we just stopped looking. When you visit, the homely atmosphere really makes you feel comfortable and after watching how confident and happy the other kids looked during our visit, we decided to enrol ours. We were lucky, because, at the time (April 2024) they had special discounts for families enrolling more than one child. It's been a year now and based on my experience as well as the discussions I have had with many other dual-citizenship parents at the school, who have had their kids’ study in schools around the world, I can tell that Ecole des Lumieres is the best school a parent can find in Islamabad if they have high standards like ours. That’s the school I would recommend, based on our family standards and where I live, and I hope the information I shared will also help you make your own decision! Good luck on your search!
By Alizey Iqbal10 months ago in Families
Plant-Powered Protein Delights in Pakistan's Capital
Craving delicious, protein-packed food without the meat? Islamabad’s (finally…) got your back! In the last few years, restauranteurs here have (finally!) started offering better options for those who don’t / can’t / won’t eat meat!
By Alizey Iqbal10 months ago in Lifehack
