Lahore American School

It’s time to write about one of my favorite schools. Lahore American School is located in Lahore, Pakistan. Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan (2006 government estimate is about 10,000,000 million population) and, in my opinion, the most beautiful. It is located about 20 minutes from the Pakistan-India border. I was employed at LAS for four years as a teacher and administrator, and I loved my time there even though they were very tense years for Pakistan and the world.

About Lahore

Lahore is known at the City of Gardens because of the extensive gardens found around the city which is part of its heritage from the Mughal Empire. If you are a history buff or an amateur archaeologist, the city and the surrounding areas are a treasure. Despite the lack of upkeep on some of their historical buildings, there is plenty to explore in this fascinating city: the Lahore Fort, the Shalimar Gardens, the Diamond Market (the red light district), the tombs of Jehangir and Nur Jehan, the Bahshahi Mosque, and the Old City.

But, Lahore isn’t just history. The residents of Lahore (known as Lahoris) are famous for their love of eating, and Lahore is the home of an incredible diversity of eating establishments from the little roadside stands to the Western chains such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Dunkin Donuts. One of my favorite places to eat was Coocoo’s which is a converted brothel and has incredible food and a very interesting clientele. During Ramadhan, the fasting month, the restaurants are packed as the fast ends around sunset.

If you’re looking for technology try Hafeez Center, one of my favorite haunts during my time in Lahore. It’s an old decrepit building (this was five years ago so it may have been renovated since then), but it’s filled with the latest technology with friendly and knowledgeable shopkeepers. And books…Lahore is known as the cultural center of Pakistan and there are many wonderful bookshops with the latest books, as well as some back alley places that sell some classics from pre-Partition times.

Lahore also has fine medical and dental facilities. I had a great dentist, Dr. Khan, who was trained in the UK and had the latest equipment. There are also some modern medical facilities as well. I had emergency surgery there and was very impressed with the doctors and the hospital.

I could go on forever about Lahore – it’s a great place. But, what about the school?

Lahore American School

LAS currently has over 400 students and has recovered nicely from the difficulties that it experienced during the aftermath of 9/11. During that period most of the international students left Pakistan to return to their home countries, and while LAS was still as wonderful place to work with great students, it did lose its international flavor during that period. LAS has been building its international student population since 2003 when I left to move to Indonesia.

The LAS curriculum is standards based and was developed in association with the Illinois State Board of Education. LAS has 30 Learner Goals and 99 standards that students must meet before they graduate. A sample goal given on their website is: “Read and understand literature representative from various societies, eras, and ideas. A standard for this is: “Can understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.” Then there are performance indicators for various grade levels for this standard.

While students at LAS do not wear uniforms (I was one of the folks against adopting uniforms for the school), there is a fairly thorough dress code for students depending on the season as Lahore can be quite chilly during the winter and extremely hot during the summer months.

LAS offers a variety of student programs at all three levels: elementary, middle school and high school. Non-athletic programs include such activities as: Student Council, National Honor Society, Music, Yearbook, SAISA Math, Model United Nations, Debate, Community Service, and much more. I took part in many of these activities and had a great time with the students who are enthusiastic participants.

LAS has an active sports program. The team name is the Buffaloes and its colors are Blue and Gold. LAS takes part in the SAISA Athletic Conference. Some of the SAISA sports are Basketball, Volleyball (the Middle School had great volleyball teams during my years there, and I still have a few volleyball team t-shirts), Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, and Soccer. The LAS boys also play cricket against teams from Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi. Additionally, LAS holds two weekend athletic conventions with students from the international schools in Islamabad and Karachi. LAS also has many after-school sports events for younger students.

LAS has about 60 percent foreign teachers and 40 percent Pakistani teachers. The salaries, benefits, and atmosphere are quite attractive, and LAS teachers tend to put in a lengthy tenure at the school. While I was teaching at LAS, it was common for teachers to be there four, five, and six years. Several teachers left LAS for other schools, and then returned a few years later. That’s the kind of place Lahore is.

The school website notes that LAS teachers are held to high standards, and they are looking for experienced and talented teachers rather than teachers who are just at the beginning of their careers and are “learning to teach.” At one point LAS did attend hiring fairs, then stopped during my last year there. It is not mentioned on the website if they have started attending fairs once again. But, if you are interested in finding out about a position at LAS you can contact the Superintendent.

 

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