Online School & Homeschool in Beirut
Online school and international curriculum in Beirut
For Beirut families — a record read directly in every country your family already has ties to, taught at whatever hour suits.
Live online Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A-Level, Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma Programme, and American Curriculum with Advanced Placement (AP) for Beirut families. The capital holds one of the region's great academic traditions — the American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University teach in English and are among the best known institutions in the Arab world — alongside an unusually plural private school market running French, American, IB and national programmes side by side. Beirut families understand parallel academic tracks better than almost any market we serve. What we add is one more that travels: an internationally examined record read directly wherever a family's relatives already are.
Challenges Beirut families face
- Families frequently have members across several countries, and a record needs to read in all of them.
- Private school places in the strongest institutions are competitive.
- Education is compulsory and administered by MEHE.
- We could not verify Lebanon's position on parental home education from a primary instrument.
- Time zone: Lebanon runs EET (UTC+2) moving to EEST (UTC+3) in summer — one hour behind us in winter, level in summer.
Why Beirut families choose Smartious
- A record read wherever your family is: Lebanese families have ties across West Africa, the Gulf, France, Brazil, North America and Australia. Cambridge A-Levels and the IB are read directly in all of them rather than converted country by country.
- English-medium preparation for English-medium universities: AUB and LAU teach in English. An externally examined English-medium school record demonstrates years of academic work in the language of instruction, not only a test score.
- French kept as an examined subject: For families in the francophone sector, Cambridge French runs alongside the English-medium core rather than being traded away.
- Almost no timezone at all: One hour behind us in winter and exactly level in summer — after-school, mid-morning and evening slots all work.
- Honest about the legal gap: We could not verify Lebanon's home-education position and say so rather than guessing in either direction.
Lebanese education is administered by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, education is compulsory, and private schools operate under MEHE licensing and supervision — families should confirm the current age boundaries with the ministry rather than take them from a provider. On parental home education we could not verify Lebanon's position against a primary instrument, and we are not going to guess. We will not tell you it is permitted and we will not tell you it is prohibited; both would exceed what we can evidence. What we would add is the point we make in Jordan, Iraq and elsewhere: an absence of clear regulation is an absence of protection rather than a permission, because where a matter is unaddressed there is nothing for a family to demonstrate if the question is raised. Put it to MEHE directly and keep the answer. Two further clarifications. The national qualification is the Lebanese Baccalaureate and we do not teach toward it; Smartious is not a MEHE-licensed school and issues no Lebanese qualification. And this is less confusing here than in most markets, because Lebanon's private sector already runs the French Baccalauréat, the IB and American programmes alongside the national one — parallel academic tracks are the norm rather than the exception, and ours sits in that same category.
Smartious delivers to Beirut families online; the live programme is complete without in-person supplementation.
Live online via Smartious LMS. Lebanon runs one hour behind our teaching base in winter and exactly level in summer, so effectively our whole teaching day is available — and every session is recorded, so a class that cannot be attended is never a class lost.
Beirut holds one of the region's great academic traditions — AUB and LAU teaching in English among the best known institutions in the Arab world — alongside an unusually plural private school market running French, American, IB and national programmes side by side. Lebanon runs EET (UTC+2), moving to EEST (UTC+3) in summer.
Family situations we work with
- Professional and academic families with relatives abroad.
- Households planning for children to study at AUB, LAU or abroad.
- Families in the French-system sector adding an English-medium examined track.
- Students needing a subject their school cannot staff for a small group.
- Diaspora-connected families who may relocate or return.
- Households arriving mid-curriculum from another country's system.
Beirut communities and nearby areas
Achrafieh · Hamra · Verdun · Baabda · Hazmieh · Antelias · Dbayeh
Common questions from Beirut families
Is homeschooling legal in Lebanon?
We could not verify a position from a primary instrument and will not guess. Education is compulsory and administered by MEHE, and private schools operate under ministry licensing. An absence of clear regulation is not a permission — put the question to MEHE directly. Structured study alongside a school enrolment raises none of it.
Do you teach the Lebanese Baccalaureate?
No. We are not a MEHE-licensed school and issue no Lebanese qualification. We teach Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, IB and AP examinations, which sit alongside the Lebanese record — a familiar arrangement here, since the private sector already runs French, IB and American programmes in parallel.
Our family has relatives in several countries — which qualification travels?
Cambridge A-Levels and the IB Diploma, with AP for US-focused applications. All are read directly in France, the Gulf, North America, Brazil, Australia and the UK, whereas a national record is assessed through different procedures in each.
What are the class times?
Effectively any hour of our teaching day — Lebanon is one hour behind us in winter and exactly level in summer.
More in Lebanon
- Online school in Lebanon
- Online school in Tripoli & the North
- Online school in Saida & the South
- Online school in Zahle & the Bekaa
- Online school in Jounieh & Mount Lebanon
Guides for families in Lebanon
- Virtual School in Lebanon: A Wine Valley, a Second City and a Southern Coast
- Online School in Lebanon: One Record for a Family Spread Across Four Continents
- Homeschooling in Lebanon: What We Can Verify, and Why Parallel Tracks Are Already Normal Here
What parents say
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“Smartious eSchool is exceptional. Professional, caring tutors who truly understand their students and deliver results. Lessons are engaging, personalized, and well-structured, creating a supportive environment where learners thrive. If you want quality education and real academic progress, this is the place to go.” — Derrick A., Google review