Canadian International School of Egypt

In Brief

CISE is the only school in Cairo awarding the Ontario Secondary School Diploma with a French Immersion pathway - if that credential or bilingual track matters to your family, it deserves a serious look. If not, limited published review data means a campus visit and conversations with current secondary parents are essential before deciding.

CISE occupies a specific niche: it is the only school in Cairo to award the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, listed by the Ontario Ministry of Education as an Overseas Private School. That credential opens Canadian university doors without equivalency conversion, and the school has a ready-made audience among Canadian families and those targeting Canadian higher education. The French Immersion programme, running from Grade 1 with up to 80% French instruction in the early years and a DELF Diploma available for proficiency certification, is the only bilingual Canadian-curriculum option in the city.

The Katameya campus has an auditorium, gym, 25-metre pool, soccer pitches, basketball and squash courts - a facilities package that is strong for a school of around 600 students at this fee level. Fees are EGP 190,000 for all Early Years and Primary grades and EGP 214,000 for Secondary. The flat-rate primary fee structure is simple to budget; the school bus at EGP 48,000 is a significant additional cost to factor in from the start.

The school is small and independent, and published parent feedback has been mixed over the years - ranging from positive long-term community experiences to concerns about academic rigour in literacy. With a secondary cohort drawn from a total enrolment of around 600, subject choice at Grades 11-12 may be constrained. Ask directly how many students graduate with the Ontario Diploma each year, what the average Grade 12 result is, and how many proceed to Canadian universities - the answers will tell you more than the school's own marketing materials.