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Liceo Sinaí

Costa Rica, San Isidro de El General

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The school at a glance
Fees Fees not listed
Ages Not listed
Type Co-educational
Opened 1999
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP)
Strengths Languages, STEM, Performing Arts
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Secondary School, Middle School, High School
Introduction

Located in Barrio Sinaí, San Isidro de El General, Liceo Sinaí offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) for students aged 16–19. It runs a Sección Bilingüe from seventh through eleventh grade to improve English to CEFR B2, with 14 weekly English lessons, 4 English literature lessons, and 2 leveling lessons, plus subjects such as Business Management, Computing, and theatre/dance workshops in a blended-learning framework. The school also operates the English on the Spot (EOS) program, launched in 2016 and renamed in 2025, providing six weekly English lessons in two blocks to help students reach CEFR A2. Geógebra is a geometry project that uses GeoGebra augmented reality to visualize prisms and 3D models. Liceo Sinaí was founded in 1999; definitive facilities opened in 2002, including 15 classrooms, a teachers' lounge, a library, administration, a dining hall, and restrooms. An Industrial Arts Workshop with German Embassy support and a PROMECE-funded Computer Center supplement the campus.

Barrio Sinaí — located 150 meters north and 100 meters east of the Universidad Nacional (Sede Región Brunca); Barrio Sinaí is approximately 1 km east of the Parque Central in San Isidro de El General, Pérez Zeledón, San José Province, Costa Rica

The Essentials

Location
The Liceo Sinaí is located in Barrio Sinaí, 150 meters north and 100 meters east of the Universidad Nacional Sede Región Brunca. Barrio Sinaí is about one kilometer east of Parque Central in San Isidro de El General.

Stages
Secondary school serving seventh through eleventh grade; offers the International Baccalaureate program for upper-level students, with BI admission requiring students to be at the tenth level.

Additional learning support
The school provides curricular accommodations for students with learning needs, with some students receiving significant accommodations.

Country affiliation
Costa Rica

Bus service
Student transport service is provided, in place since 2006.
Diving Deeper

Food Options
The school has a dining hall on campus. In 2002, the dining hall was inaugurated as part of the new facilities funded by PROMECE; in 2005 there was no dining service, and by 2006 dining service was available.
Fees
Application fees

- Liceo Sinaí operates as a public secondary institution; there is no charge for application or enrolment fees for admission to the school.

Tuition fees by school year / term

- Liceo Sinaí does not charge tuition or term/annual school fees for attendance as it is part of the public education system. There are no recurring tuition payments assessed by the school per term or per school year.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Because the school does not levy tuition, there is no regular tuition billing schedule or term-based payment plan issued by Liceo Sinaí. Any amounts billed to families will come from third-party vendors or for optional services and are managed according to those vendors' terms.

Boarding fees (if applicable)

- Liceo Sinaí is a day secondary school with campus facilities (including classrooms and a comedor/cafeteria); there is no boarding programme and therefore no boarding fees.

Other costs and fees (uniforms, meals, transport, materials, optional activities)

- Uniforms: Official school uniforms are sold by local suppliers; example retail prices published by a uniform supplier in Pérez Zeledón list an "Oficial Liceo Sinaí" uniform item at ₡8,500 and physical-education items at ₡9,500–₡14,500 (Colones). These are vendor charges for uniforms rather than school tuition.

- Meals / cafeteria: The campus includes a comedor (cafeteria). Meal charges, when applied, are handled at the point of service or via any vendor/program that operates the cafeteria; these are separate from school tuition.

- Student transport: the school has historically had student-transport arrangements; any bus or transport fees are organised externally or through local transport programs and are not part of a tuition invoice.

- Academic materials and extras: costs for textbooks, workbooks, photocopying, special programmes, field trips or optional extracurricular activities (if any) are paid separately when required and are not covered by a tuition charge from the school.

Refund information

- There is no school tuition to refund. Refunds for purchases made to external vendors (uniforms, supplies, service providers) follow the vendor's returns and refund policy; uniform vendors listing Liceo Sinaí provide contact and returns/guarantee information through their commercial pages.

Fee payment options

- The school itself does not collect tuition payments. Payments for uniforms, supplies or optional paid services are handled by the relevant vendors or service providers. Local uniform and supply vendors publish contact phone numbers and an email address for orders and enquiries (example supplier contact listed: phone 2771-5831 / 2771-0459; email ventas@elcanastico.com). Payment methods for vendor purchases are set by those vendors.

Brief note on available public funding context

- Liceo Sinaí is part of Costa Rica's public education network and has received public programme support and infrastructure funding (for example PROMECE funding for buildings). Public diversified secondary education in Costa Rica is provided free and financed by the State.

Summary of findings and gaps

- There is no school-level fee schedule (application, tuition, per-term or per-year charges) published for Liceo Sinaí because it functions as a publicly funded day secondary school. Specific, payable amounts that parents may encounter are vendor charges (uniforms, supplies, meals, transport or optional activities) and are set and collected by those third-party suppliers or programme operators. The uniform vendor listing cited above provides current retail prices for uniform items.
Academics

Liceo Sinaí teaches IB (DP).

Curriculum
The Liceo Sinaí offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (BI) for students aged 16–19, a rigorous, globally recognized pre-university program that emphasizes critical thinking, ethical development, and autonomous learning, and it is one of the few Costa Rican schools to offer BI with university admissions guidance for Costa Rican and international universities. The Sección Bilingüe runs from seventh through eleventh grade to close inequality in Costa Rica's secondary education, targets English proficiency at CEFR level B2, and includes 14 weekly English lessons, 4 English literature lessons, and 2 leveling lessons, with additional subjects such as Business Management and Computing and theatre/dance workshops in a blended-learning framework. Eight Costa Rican schools have been selected for Sección Bilingüe; admissions begin in July for seventh through eleventh grade and spaces are limited. The school runs the English on the Spot (EOS) program—formerly English Conversational Workshop—begun in 2016 and renamed in 2025; EOS provides six weekly English lessons in two blocks to help students reach at least A2 on the CEFR. Geógebra is a mathematics project that teaches geometry and solids using augmented reality and other technologies; Liceo Sinaí is located in Barrio Sinaí, San Isidro de El General, Costa Rica.

Higher Education Progression
BI provides university admissions guidance for Costa Rican and international universities.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school provides support groups for students and families to improve the educational experience and develops students' social skills.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school provides curricular accommodations for students with identified needs, including cases with significant accommodations.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The Sección Bilingüe teaches English as a second language to help students achieve communicative competence in English and reach B2 level per MCER, using blended learning and technology; the program also includes subjects such as Business Management and Computing and offers creative workshops.

Mental Wellbeing
Student wellbeing is addressed as part of Bachillerato Internacional policies.

Safeguarding
Institutional policies include inclusion and student wellbeing.
Parent Experience

History
Liceo Sinaí was founded in 1999 and is located in Barrio Sinaí, San Isidro de El General. Its early years were marked by the constant relocation of facilities and staff due to the lack of a suitable building, with classrooms improvised and limited isolation. In 2002, the definitive facilities were inaugurated, funded by PROMECE, including 15 classrooms, a teachers' lounge, a library, administration, a dining hall, and restrooms. By 2003, the school had consolidated in the region, growing to more than 25 staff and 719 students; a Workshop of Industrial Arts was built thanks to the collaboration of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and an IT Center was installed funded by PROMECE. The school began in March 1999 with seven groups of seventh year meeting in the catechesis space of the Catholic Church in San Isidro center; in 2000, operations moved to the Asambleas de Dios location and other sites as the campus expanded to accommodate a growing student body, including many students from marginalized zones.

Community
Liceo Sinaí is committed to quality education that drives national development. The institution focuses on planning and continuous improvement, working to meet educational authorities' guidelines and its own goals so that every student reaches maximum academic and personal potential. Each new year brings improvements in academic performance, ethics, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, and social skills, benefiting current students and future generations. A highly qualified teaching and administrative team works closely with students, families, and support groups to strengthen the educational experience, guided by values such as tolerance, humanism, solidarity, and responsibility.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The Liceo Sinaí is located in Barrio Sinaí, about 1 kilometer east of Central Park in San Isidro de El General. The school was founded in 1999 and initially operated across multiple venues while awaiting a permanent campus. In 2002, the Liceo Sinaí opened its own facilities, including 15 classrooms, a staff room, a library, administration offices, a dining hall, and four restrooms. In 2003, an Industrial Arts Workshop was built with support from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and a Computer Center was installed with funding from PROMECE. In May 2005, seven more classrooms, an Orientation Office, and an additional restroom were completed, and by 2006 the campus offered dining service, a library, a photocopier, and student transport.

Academic Facilities
The campus includes 15 classrooms, a staff room, a library, an administration area, and a dining hall, along with four restrooms. An Industrial Arts Workshop was built in 2003 with support from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. A Computer Center was installed in 2003 and funded by PROMECE. In May 2005, seven more classrooms were completed, along with an Orientation Office and an additional restroom. By 2006 the campus also provided a dining service and a photocopier.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Geógebra is a geometry project focusing on geometry and solids using GeoGebra augmented reality to bring 3D models into real contexts. The project emphasizes integrating technology into math instruction and helping students become creators of their own knowledge. Industrial Arts Workshop (Taller de Artes Industriales) was established in 2003 with support from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. The project underscores the role of technology and AI in teaching.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
Taller English on the Spot (EOS) is an English conversation workshop offered since 2016 for upper-grade students, with six lessons per week in two blocks. It aims to improve interaction and oral and written production in English for Costa Rican public-school students to reach CEFR A2, using technology to enrich language learning and cultural awareness. Originally launched as the Conversational English Workshop (INCO) in 2006, it was renamed English on the Spot (EOS) in 2025; a diagnostic test measures starting levels and a ninth-year exit test assesses progress. Geógebra, a geometry and solids project, uses GeoGebra augmented reality to visualize prisms and 3D models, integrating technology to deepen critical and analytical understanding of geometric concepts.

Arts & Creative
Students in the Sección Bilingüe participate in creative workshops such as theatre and dance, promoting holistic development and confidence. The program includes English language instruction with a literature component to support expressive arts in English. This arts and language integration helps students engage creatively across cultures.

Cultural & Language
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is a rigorous, globally recognized pre-university program for students aged 16 to 19, with emphasis on critical thinking, ethical development, and autonomous learning. Our school is among a limited number of Costa Rican schools offering IB. The program fosters intercultural understanding and prepares students for higher education and the workforce, with a global and multicultural focus.

Leadership & Professional
The Sección Bilingüe curriculum includes subjects such as Business Management and Computing to promote technical and leadership skills. These courses develop professional competencies relevant to higher education and careers.
Admissions

Admissions
Step 1: The Sección Bilingüe runs from seventh through eleventh grade. The admissions process opens in July each year. Applicants submit an application and the grades from fourth through sixth level are reviewed. A Spanish entrance exam assesses reading comprehension and analogical reasoning; the number of slots is set by the Budget Unit of the Ministry of Public Education. Step 2: For regular secondary students, a review of available slots occurs at the start of each school year. If space exists, students enroll and take an English assessment covering listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Admissions favor higher scores within the available slots. Step 3: Documentation: Fill the Formulario de Solicitud de la Sección Bilingüe at the admissions office or on social networks. Attach the required documentation as indicated. The form and documents are used for the evaluation process. Step 4: Dates and evaluation: Registrations begin in July each year; spaces are limited. Selected candidates are invited for an interview and evaluation with the admissions team and the bilingual program coordinator. Results and slot allocations are communicated by email and at an informational meeting at the school. Bachillerato Internacional admissions: Step 1: Students must be in tenth grade and participate in the selection process that includes academic evaluations and interviews. Only 36 slots are available each year. Registrations begin in July. Step 2: For more information about BI admissions, visit the BI admissions page dedicated to applications and admissions. The page provides details about the process and lists deadlines. Families are encouraged to consult the page for the latest requirements.
School Events
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