History

The Classical School of the Medes is an international, English-based network of Christian schools in Iraqi-Kurdistan. There are currently three schools in operation, one in Sulaymaniyah (2001), one in Duhok (2002), and one in Erbil (2003). There are over 2500 students currently attending the CSM schools.  

CSM college preparatory curriculum that is offered for K to G12 allows students to graduate with all necessary credits and SAT preparation to attend universities, private and public in Kurdistan and universities abroad according to their acceptance criterion.

 A team of educators based in America work with the local administration here in Kurdistan to design and compile the program’s curriculum.  

The Classical School of the Medes (CSM) operates under the full permission and authority of the Ministry of Education in Kurdistan and receives professional support from Franklin Classical School (FCS) located in the United States of America. CSM is a private, Christian school that seeks to provide quality education based on the Christian Classical model of education with strong emphasis on moral development within the context of a Christian worldview. CSM does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, color, gender, economic status, or national or ethnic origin.

The Classical School of the Medes schools draw from the classical educational model and use an English-based curriculum for all subjects except for Kurdish, Arabic language classes, Komalayati and Geocide and Maff classes. A classical education depends on a three-part process of training the mind. The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades, students learn to think through arguments. In the high school years, they learn to express themselves. A classical education is more than simply a pattern of learning, though. Classical education is language-focused; learning is accomplished through words, written and spoken, rather than through images (pictures, videos, and television). A classical education, then, has two important aspects. It is language-focused: and it follows a specific three-part pattern: the mind must be first supplied with facts and images, then given the logical tools for organization of facts, and finally equipped to express conclusions. The Classical School of the Medes seeks to equip students using this method with age-appropriate skills, knowledge, and virtues.

 

Philosophy

CSM seeks to provide a quality education with a strong emphasis on moral development. Teaching methods are designed to fit learners’ developmental stages of learning. Young learners are taught basic skills and facts while older learners develop critical thinking, writing, and speaking skills.

In all of its teaching methods and programs, CSM’s goals and objectives are to:

• Guide learners into the joy and art of lifetime learning, thinking, and self-expression.
• Guide learners to love and serve God, their family, and their nation.
• Provide an exceptional educational opportunity and a safe learning environment.
• Instill in learners a sense of respect for their heritage.
• Communicate to learners a sense of responsibility for their present behaviors and attitudes.
• Inspire learners with a sense of destiny and purpose for their lives and nation.
• Encourage learners to explore their environment.
• Learning to be independent and productive individuals in their community.