American Baccalaureate School

A non-profit American college-prep school founded in 2006 by Dr. Fayza Al-Kharafi, former Rector of Kuwait University. KG to Grade 12 in Abraq Khaitan, Cognia-accredited, around 1,200 students.

ABS is part of the Ali Al-Ghanim & Sons educational portfolio. Co-ed through Grade 5, then segregated buildings for boys and girls from middle school up. About 98% of the student body is Kuwaiti, so this is more a Kuwaiti national school in English than a true expat international school. Fees run roughly KWD 2,243 to KWD 4,885. Head of school is Rachelle Parsons.

Parents who like ABS praise the academics, the after-school athletics for Grades 3-12, and the discipline. Parents who do not warn about heavy homework, tight tardiness rules, and a curriculum some say lags American grade-level expectations in the middle years. Best fit for Kuwaiti families wanting a structured, single-sex secondary environment with American-style college prep.

• One Kuwait redditor listed ABS among the city's American-curriculum options, noting American schools are far less common locally than British ones.
• Glassdoor staff rating sits at sharply negative with only 6 percent of reviewers willing to recommend the school as a workplace, one of the lowest in the region.
• Teachers describe management as siding with parents and students against staff, with grade manipulation, high turnover and burnout cited repeatedly.
• A minority of staff reviews praise professional development and a diverse teaching team from across multiple countries.
• Parents flag heavy homework loads with little time for hobbies or exercise, and frequent detentions for minor infractions like jewellery or talking in class.
• Traffic and crowding around the campus also feature in parent comments.