The Ecole D'Humanite

The School

The Ecole d'Humanite is an international coeducational boarding school located in the village of Goldern, Hasliberg, in the Swiss Alps. One hundred and fifty students from over a dozen countries live and study together in a cooperative community. Classes are taught in both English and German and students concentrate on no more than three subjects at one time in the morning hours. They progress rapidly in small groups, learning to study in depth. To counterbalance this intensive academic program, they devote their afternoons to art and music, and crafts, selecting from some sixty possible courses. Emphasis is placed on increasing independence. Students learn to plan their own study program, to determine the most effective learning methods for themselves, and to organize their schedule to include both study time and social and recreational activities. The school stresses humanistic values and responsible community living. Students dress informally, live together with teachers in the friendly atmosphere of the "families", and share in the responsability for daily chores and upkeep -shovelling snow , washing dishes, cleaning classrooms. This life style in spectacular natural surroundings far from the onslaught of television, advertising and constant appeals to consumerism, helps students to be creative and to develop in their own way. While this is a school with a demanding academic program, it is also a living community whose members are constantly striving to balance the needs of the individuals on the one hand with those of the group on the other. Students take charge of such important tasks as organizing job rotation and managing committees which run the library, entertainment programs, the fire brigade and the like. Some are active in the student council and some are involved in working out disciplinary problems that arise. All are encouraged to voice their opinions freely but at the same time to respect the rights and opinions of others. Everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, partecipates in weekly community meetings which are chaired by a student. All speakers are recognized equally during the discussions and, while decisions are not always made in this large group, the sessions provides a chance for everyone to be heard. The Ecole offers a wide range of experiences and challenges for young people to grow on. Rooming with someone from a different culture can, for example, be an enlightening experience. So can mountain-climbing or potato-peeling. The process of living together is a constant reminder that there are many sides to every question and problems must be patiently worked through if solutions are to be found that are satisfactory to all concerned. The search for cooperation is at the center of the Ecole spirit.

All new students are assigned to family groups which are comprised of two faculty members and about eight boys and girls. Each family lives together in one of the school houses and eats together in the common dining room. Wednesday evening is Family Evening and they spend it together as a group - playing games, cooking a meal, working on a project, or just talking.
Teachers take particular interest in the students in their family.They are concerned with their total development on a day-to-day basis and assume such parental roles as supervising bedtimes, planing birthday celebrations, and offering counsel when problems arise. After their first two terms, students are able to choose the family and the house they wish to live in.
These family groups foster more open relationships among young people and between staff and students. Living in a mixed group including both sexes and various cultures helps everyone to see beyond the stereotypes and to appreciate individual differences. The mixture of older and younger children is also an important aspect of the family atmosphere. Older ones may be counted on to help with waxing a pair of skis or translating a sentence. The younger ones in turn offer an exuberance which is equally important to the community spirit. Even infants and toddlers (faculty children) are a part of the community, often sitting on a favorite lap during school meeting or singing hour.
A typical day in the school is full of activity.Students and teachers are involved with classes, sports, chores, crafts and meetings from early morning until bedtime. Nevertheless, it is also important that each person find time to go for a leisurely walk, to sit and read, or just to be alone. Quiet times are scheduled into the school day after lunch and in the evening and some students who prefer a more secluded life can choose a family living in one of the smaller houses in the village; others seem to thrive right in the center of things.

A basic college preparatory program is offered in English. In addition, from the time they arrive, English-speaking students are expected to take German until they become proficient in the language.The first term is usually devoted to German, English and mathematics. Later they can take other courses offered in English and as soon as they can understand German they will be able to choose from an even wider range of subjects.
College Entrance: Each year the school prepares a group of students for entrance to American and British universities. A major feature of their preparation is learning to do independent projects. Those in their last two years of high school regularly write a major research paper on a subject of their own choosing in order to learn the techniques of note-taking, outlining and footnoting as well as to get practice in the self-discipline of long-term independent study.
The school has an extensive English library which provides good source material for most class projects. Those who need more specialized materials may borrow them by mail from the Swiss library system. Students preparing for the College Board tests generally find the course plan system well suited to their needs. The English program in the fall term places special emphasis on vocabulary and writing skills in preparation for the SATs. The school has been an official testing center of the Educational Testing Service since 1959. Students generally take the SATs twice, in December of their last two years. Naturally, most students select German for one of their achievement tests and do very well on it (Average score 710)
American colleges seem interested in accepting students who have had a thorough U.S. high school education combined with the experience of living abroad. Graduates in recent years have gone to such American colleges as Middlebury, Pomona, Wellesley and Yale and to the universities of Birgmingham and Newcastle in England.

Curriculum

The primary language of the school is German, but the academic program is offered in both German and English. The programs are not separate but interlocking and students are free to choose courses offered in either one, depending on their language ability. Each year some bilingual courses are offered as well. In these classes srudents may read and write in either language while participating in bilingual discussions with students from different backgrounds. Students may prepare for European or American universities or other types of occupational and professional training. Most of those in the English program prepare for the American college entrance examinations. The school year is broken down into course periods which are about six weeks in length. During the course period, a student takes the same three courses every day from Monday through Saturday.
Usually two or more course periods are required for subjects such as geometry or beginning German. The single course period can be used effectively for spcialized courses like the Geology of the Hasliberg or Practice in Expository Writing. All students select their own courses with the help of faculty advisors. Those who wish to concentrate in a particular area are free to do so as long as university requirements and career plans are taken into consideration. Older students occasionally elect to work independently if they have proved their ability to work on their own and have designed a project that meets with faculty approval. Classes are small with rarely more than eight students. The student-teacher ratio of 5 : 1 allows highly individualized instruction and requires the active participation of each class member. Pupils are grouped according to ability and interest rather than by age categories. Class periods which are 60-75 minutes long leave time for varied approaches to the subject matter. There is no one prescribed teaching method in the school; teachers and students are encouraged to use whatever methods are most effective for a particular class. Some faculty members participate in a special training program in the use of Theme-Centered Interaction in the classroom under the supervision of Dr.Ruth C. Cohn, founder of this humanistic system for furthering efficient and cooperative group work which corresponds closely to the educational philosophy of the school. Dr. Cohn has been Consultant in Residence since 1974.

Reports:Neither grades nor final examinations are given, though quizzes and papers are common; students do not pass or fail in the traditional sense. Instead, teachers communicate regularly with the students about their work and evaluate each one’s performance at the end of every course period in a special “blue book”. Students keep records of their own progress by writing in their “olive-green books”. These self-educations are essential if young people are to learn to see their education as primarily their responsibility rather than that of their parents or teachers. They also learn that progress is the result of an effort which they themselves exert, and not a gift (in the form of a grade) from the teacher. Parents of new pupils receive a full report on their child’s academic workand social adjustment at the end of the first term, based on the blue book entries and staff conference. When the student leaves, a detailed final report and transcript are sentto the parents. If there should be a special need at any time, an interim report can be requested.

Physical fittness is stressed without undue emphasis on competitive sports. Swimming, running, hiking, dance, gymnastics and kajaking are some of the activities offered. Basketball, volleyball and soccer are the most popular team sports.
Skiing makes winter the most important season for many sports enthusiasts. For them the school is ideally situated near a cable car station. Students may go skiing whenever they have no other commitments, and the afternoon schedule is adjusted to make this possible six days a week. Accomplished skiers may ski the mountain and there are places for beginners to practice all around the school. Once a week, in good weather, classes may be cancelled for the morning or afternoon while the whole school goes skiing. Ski hikes are sometimes organized, enabling groups to ski slopes which are not served by lifts. Cross country skiing is also offered.
Hikes: Being among the renowned Bernese mountains inspires a lot of hiking. Several day and week-end hikes take place during the year and the entire school divides into groups which go off for a 3-day hike in the fall term and a 6-day hike in the spring. These longer excursions give students the chance to see other parts of Switzerland or neighboring sections of France and Italy.