normal magazin nummer18 sommer

Die Internatsschüler besuchen die Stiftsschule. Wer die Matura macht, schliesst diese zweispra- chig in Englisch und Deutsch ab. The boarders attend the pre- paratory school Stiftsschule Engelberg. Those working towards their Swiss high school diploma must take courses in both English and German.

Die frisch renovierten Zim- mer kommen sehr modern und ansprechend daher.

The recently renovated rooms are very modern and appealing.

The boarding school at Stiftsschule Engelberg, under the trusteeship of the Abbey, has to combat many prejudices – such as the idea that it’s only problem children whose parents are at their wits’ end that are sent to boarding school. But despite difficult circumstances, the board- ing school is now doing better than it has in a long time thanks to a new direction and large investments. “You come home f rom school, and it ’s just like hanging out with your mates,” says Frederik Rosch. By “ home”, the 17-year-old is re-

For other parents, the fac t that the boarding school is af f iliated with Engelberg Abbey plays an impor tant role. “They send their children to us for religious reasons, as we are an ac- tive monaster y school,” says the direc tor. That means the pupils not on ly receive the usua l religious education, they a lso say grace before mea ls, can par ticipate in spiritua l “chill-outs”, and must uphold genera l Christian va lues. Annua l boarding and tuition fees come to 41,000 f rancs. For this amount, parents can be sure that the school is giv ing their chil- dren the best preparation for of the school ’s pupils are boarders – 22 of them girls. “That ’s the highest number in recent years, so natura lly we are delighted,” says Father Andri. There are severa l fac tors to thank for this increase, which is expec ted to con- tinue. In the last f ive years, 13 million f rancs has been invested in the school ’s facilities. The Stif tschu le has a lso introduced a dua l qua li- f ication programme, combining a bilingua l German-English Swiss high school diploma with the internationa lly compatible Inter- nationa l Bacca laureate. Another impor tant change is that now, instead of liv ing at the boarding school seven days a week, the pu- pils can go home af ter lessons on Friday – but on ly if they have cleaned their rooms. Once room inspec tions have been carried out, the pupils are given a handshake and waved of f to enjoy the weekend with their families. Af ter a ll, as Father Andri says: “We are an addi- tion to their family – not a replacement.” obtaining the prestigious school-leav ing qua lif ica- tion. Just a few years ago, the boarding school was on the brink of bankruptcy, with on ly 50 boarders. Today, 78

ferring to the boarding house at Stif tsschu le Engelberg. He is f rom a family of German expats liv ing in Ennetbürgen, but he doesn’ t miss them too much as he’s constantly sur- rounded by f riends. Board-

We are very close to the pupils, but still maintain a healthy distance.

ers here either at tend the preparator y school or the IOS (integrated orienteering school). Despite a busy timetable of lessons and desig- nated quiet or study time, there are still plenty of oppor tunities to have f un with other pupils. On this par ticu lar lesson-f ree af ternoon, many of the pupils are congregating on the grounds af ter returning f rom skiing. Some are chat ting with the boarding school ’s direc tor, Father Andri Tuor. He conf irms the impression we have as guests: “We have created a great atmosphere. We are ver y close to the pupils, but maintain a hea lthy distance.” This family relationship is one of the main reasons many parents choose to send their children here. “We can immediately respond to any problems,” says Father Andri. But he a lso stresses that this is not a counselling facility. “Boarding schools have a bad reputation, and not on ly because of cases of abuse in the past,” explains the Bene- dic tine monk. “We are not a centre for dif f icu lt children whose parents can’ t cope with them.”

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