Lycée Français Saint-Michel ( English: , Turkish: ) is an

international International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

French school located in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

. It is one of the three Lasallian schools in Turkey along with Lycée Saint-Joseph in Istanbul and Lycée Saint-Joseph in Izmir. The

Agency for French Education Abroad The Agency for French Education Abroad, or Agency for French Teaching Abroad, (; AEFE), is a national public agency under the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France that assures the quality of schools teaching the French nati ...

(AEFE) does not include the schoo
in its list of French international schools in Turkey
(under "Turquie").

History

Early development

In September 1886, the

De La Salle Brothers The De La Salle Brothers, officially named the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (; ; ) abbreviated FSC, is a Catholic lay religious congregation of pontifical right for men founded in France by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle ( ...

established a school in

Beyoğlu Beyoğlu (; ) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 9 km2, and its population is 225,920 (2022). It is on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the o ...

, near

Galatasaray High School Galatasaray High School (, ), established in Istanbul in 1481, is the oldest and Selective school, highly selective high school in Turkey. It is also the second-oldest Turkish educational institution after Istanbul University, which was establi ...

, replacing a school that had burned down in 1870. They named this new school Saint-Michel. In 1896, the Frères built a new school in

Feriköy Feriköy is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Şişli, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 14,081 (2022). It is home to three large adjoining cemeteries, one for Roman Catholic burials, one for Protestant ones, and one f ...

, north of the city, under the name Saint-Jean Chrysostome. The building served as a primary school, middle school, and provided basic commercial education. The school gained recognition and reached up to 180 students by 1912 but closed in 1914.

Re-establishment

In 1921, after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, a dynamic and active northerner named Frère Florin established a larger, more organized, and better-equipped school in place of Saint-Jean Chrysostome and named it Sainte-Jeanne D'Arc. After three years of education at this school, the students completed their studies at Saint-Michel College (in Beyoğlu) or Saint-Joseph College (in

Kadıköy Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...

). They also had the option to continue at the commercial institute. This institute was initially housed within Saint-Joseph and later moved to Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc.

Modernisation

In 1936, a law was enacted prohibiting foreigners from opening schools in Turkey, resulting in the closure of all foreign schools. Saint-Michel College relocated from the bustling environment of Beyoğlu and settled in the buildings of Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc College in Bomonti. The merger of these two schools formed the present-day Saint-Michel High School. In 1956, for various reasons, the De La Salle Brothers closed the middle section of the school. The middle section was reopened in 1970, and female students were also admitted. Saint-Michel became the first French school in Istanbul to offer

co-education Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

. Since 1976, the De La Salle Brothers who were the founders have not been involved in the school administration.

Notable alumni

Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ (born 1965)TUSIAD Elects New C ...

, chairperson of

Doğan Holding Doğan Şirketler Grubu Holding A.Ş. is amongst the biggest conglomerates in Turkey operating in the energy, media, industry, trade, insurance and tourism industries. Founded by Aydın Doğan who still is a major shareholder, the company is led ...

* Hüseyin Yalın, singer and songwriter *

İshak Alaton İshak Alaton (2 September 1927 – 11 September 2016) was a Turkish businessman and investor. He is a founding partner of the Alarko group of companies. Biography İshak Alaton was born in Istanbul in 1927. He completed his high school education ...

, co-founder of

Alarko Holding Alarko Holding is one of the largest business conglomerates in Turkey; it is listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange. It operates in various sectors, including construction, electricity generation and distribution, tourism, and real estate. It was ...

* Leyla İpekçi, journalist and screenwriter * Mario Levi, modern novelist * Oya Aydoğan, actress

References

{{coord missing, Turkey French international schools in Turkey Schools in Istanbul Schools in Turkey French international schools International schools Foreign private schools in Turkey