Figure 1.--This is the 8 eme class at a school I think was called the Petit College. I think it was a private school. It is an undated class photograph, but was probably taken in the late 1950s or early 60s. The smocks here are a little different than the ones we see the boys wearing by the late 60s and early 70s. Click on the image to see the rest of the class. |
A HBC reader has forwarded several images of a school called the Petit College. Petit Collège simply means the section of the school described is for younger boys. The actual name of the full school is "Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour". The school is located in Beirut, Lebanon. It was a school for European boys in Lebabanon and Christian Lebanese. Perhaps our readers will know more about the school. The school photos appear to be from the 1960s and early 70s so we know the school was functoning at this time, although we do not know when it was founded. We do know that it is still operating. It is a private school run by the Catholic Church.
A HBC reader has forwarded several images of a school that appears to be called the Petit College. We were not sure what the full name of the school is. He mentions ANCIENS ÉLÈVES DE JAMHOUR - SUISSE. This is apparently an association of former students located in Genève (Geneva), Switzerland. I'm not sure what JAMHOUR means. We at first thought that the school was a Swiss school, but it is a school in Lebanon. Petit Collège simply means the section of the school described is for younger boys. The actual name of the full school is the Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour, meaning Our Lady of Jamhour.
The Petit Collège, part of the "Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour" is located in Beirut, Lebanon. While located in Lebanon, many of the children are European, presumably mostly French children as the classes were taught in French. There would also be many Christian Lebanese children. Lebanon has a minority Christian population.
We know nothing about the chronology of the school. We do not know when it was founded. The school photos appear to be from the 1960s and early 70s so we know the school was functoning at this time. We have two images that are dates from the 1969-71 period. Both show a similar, but not identical uniform to the one seen here. The school still exists and is currently operating.
This is a private school, presumably run by the Catholic Church. It is a Catholic (Jesuit fathers) school in Lebanon. It is a lebanish school, but it is accredited by the French Education Ministry in France.
Notre Dame de Jamhour is a French-speaking school. It seems to have used French and the lasnguage of instruction. We note French, swiss, and French Canadian children and also lebanish children (as we can read the names). The school teaches both boys and girls from 12e to Terminale. The Petit Collège teaches Minimes (12e, 11e & 10e) and Benjamins (9e and 8e). Grand Collège incluses Petits (7e, 6e and 5e), Moyens (4e and 3e), Grands (2de and 1re), and Terminales.
There was no school uniform, but the children clearly were required to wear smocks. The uniformity of the smocks and the fact that all of the children are wearing them insicates that there was a strict school rule. The boys here look to be wearing a side buttoning smock with a double-breasted affect. They were self-belted smocks with a collar. They also had two front pockets. Not all of the boys seem to have the self belt, but it looks like all the smocks originally came with them (figure 1). I am not sure about the color, but light blue is a likely possibility. We do not know know if the school had rules about what the boys wore with their smock, but as all the boys are wearing short pants, white socks, and black shoes, this seems to have been a requirement as well. There was a slight change in the smocks by the late 1960s. The smocks at that time have contrasting white collars. They have waistbands, but they button rather than buckle. WE note some of the 9 eme children wearing sandals, but not the 8 eme children, at least in the late 1960s.
I am not sure what age group the school was designed to accommodate. The available images are all of the 8 and 9 eme classes which suggest a primary school. Most oif the availaiable images are 8 eme classes like the boys here. We note one 9 eme class which is slightly younger boys. The 9 eme class looks to be from about 1970. I'm not possitive about the age equivalent of these classes, but would assume that they would be simukar to the French system.
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