Profile “Europaschule“
Since April 30, 2004 our secondary school “Walter Gropius” has had the title “Europaschule”, which means it is a school with a European orientation. Within the framework of the programme “Schools with a special profile” we were conferred this name by Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz – Minister of Education and the Arts at the time.
International projects
Before our school got the name “Europaschule” we had to prove that we were worth it. Since 2000/2001 our school had worked successfully on the profile “Europe at school – School in Europe”. One example is the Comenius-Project in which a Finnish and Icelandic School took part. There was a European competition in the art field broadening new horizons. Another example is a project week of students and teachers at a Polish school in our twin town Gliwice which had the topic “Europa wächst zusammen, aber wie” (Europe grows strongly together, it really does). Since then many generations of students have grown up at our “Europaschule”, who took part in many international projects. The European idea will be preserved after the final exams. The majority of our graduates thinks : I’m an open-minded and outward-looking European!
Students’ exchange and study trips
European topics are discussed and attitudes are acquired in the lessons of the individual classes and subjects. The enormous offer of foreign languages at our secondary school (English, French, Spanish, Russian and Latin) supports the variety of regularly held intercultural school partnerships and students’ exchanges, which belong to common class projects and every day life at school. There are exchanges with partner schools in Gliwice (Poland), Barcelona (Spain) and Istanbul (Turkey) as well as in Hangzhou (China) and Rehoboth ( Namibia). But study and languages trips of groups of students to France, Great Britain, Russia and Italy are also required if one wants to get to know the culture of other European people.
Certainly, European topics are also subjects of the further education of our teachers. Due to this, visits at the EU in Brussels or at the European Parliament in Strasbourg are often organized.
The Understanding for foreign cultures
It is a matter of course to concern ourselves with other cultures and to encourage the contact to young people of different nations. This helps to practice our foreign language as well as to abolish prejudices which, unfortunately, still exist in our modern society. Our secondary school is a member of “Bundes-Netzwerk Europaschule e.V.” and closely connected with the town Dessau-Roßlau. This includes the spreading of the European idea among the young generation of our hometown and region.
Gerald Herbst (Member of school management)
Selected texts are available in English