Scan Magazine | Special Theme | A Spotlight on Danish Education
Herning Gymnasium seeks to give its students not just the tools but also the curiosity to explore new cultures.
Broadening the perspective Study trips, language qualifications and intercultural projects are all integral parts of the curriculum at Herning Gymnasium. Defined by its broad focus, the school seeks to challenge and expand its students’ view of the world. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Herning Gymnasium
Offering an English social science programme as well as a number of language certificates for students who want to continue their studies abroad, Herning Gymnasium (upper secondary school) seeks to give its students not just the tools but also the curiosity to explore new cultures. “Our ambition is to challenge our students and encourage them to reflect on the world around them,” says Rikke Pedersen Glüsing, leader of education. “It’s about not taking anything for granted and seeing the world from a different perspective.” One way of doing this is through the school’s study trips, where students live with host families and experience the culture first-hand. But the study trips are just part of a string of special events for the students. Other events include a big annual musical production, lectures by expert professors, and trips to local historical attractions. “Being a nerd is cool, but we also want our students to open their
minds to new subjects, get a broader perspective and build up an excitement about new things,” stresses Glüsing. “Nationally, we see a tendency for a lot of students to choose the same subjects, typically social science. We have that here too, but we also have many who choose language, science and art, and we’ve had particular success in strengthening our languages and science programmes.” As part of its international focus, Herning Gymnasium offers students on some programmes the chance to study and live in San Francisco for two months.
Furthermore, students are encouraged to take part in international projects such as Model United Nations, which sees students from all over the world meet in simulated UN meetings. The school also has a number of partner schools, which means that students do not just experience different cultures when travelling, but also from visits to the school.
Facts about Herning Gymnasium: Number of students: Approximately 1,100 Location: Herning Herning Gymnasium was founded in 1923. The school offers four main programmes: language, science, social science and arts (music and drama).
Web: www.herning-gym.dk
Issue 121 | February 2019 | 79