Saint John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719)

The feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719) is celebrated on April 7 each year.

He is the patron saint of teachers, because of his dedication to education and his far-reaching reform of teaching.

Although he was French and never visited Egypt in his lifetime,

his educational vision and his dedication to spreading knowledge left a lasting mark on the country, through the work of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (the De La Salle Brothers).

By founding pioneering schools such as the Collège des Frères in Cairo and the Collège Saint-Marc in Alexandria,

the Brothers helped establish an outstanding model of education that combines academic excellence with moral values,

a model whose influence can still be seen today in the Egyptian education system.

Saint John Baptist founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (the De La Salle Brothers), a religious community devoted to providing free, high-quality education, especially for the poor.

This vision, which began in France, spread to many countries, including Egypt, where the Brothers founded schools that helped develop education for decades.

The Collège des Frères in Bab al-Louq is one of the Brothers’ best-known schools in Egypt. It was founded in 1888 at the Saint Joseph school with only two students, before moving to its present site in 1906.

Over the years it has become a symbol of excellence in education, combining a demanding curriculum with the moral values Saint John Baptist championed.

In Alexandria, the Collège Saint-Marc is one of the Brothers’ most important achievements.

The school opened on October 6, 1928, in the presence of King Fuad I,

on a site of more than 35,000 square metres, which made it one of the largest schools in the Middle East at the time.

It devoted itself to teaching the French language and passing on Christian values, while keeping high academic standards.

The De La Salle schools and the Brothers’ other institutions in Egypt have produced generations of graduates who have played important roles in society.

Saint John Baptist’s vision of making education a noble mission open to all has taken shape, and it is still alive today.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle remains a symbol of educational reform and of dedication to learning and knowledge.

Although he never went to Egypt, his legacy lives on in schools born from his thinking, which still carry his message today.