Abteigymnasium Seckau

“Experiencing school practically (hand), cognitively (head) and emotionally (heart)” – this holistic approach to education has been a guiding principle of the Abteigymnasium Seckau for years.

The school has been run by the Benedictine abbey in Seckau for more than 80 years and has come a long way. From an all-boys-boarding school to a modern institution, in which approximately 270 children from 10 to 18 years are educated. We are an all-day-school, but no longer a boarding school, and our students spend their days from 08am to 05pm in school.

Naturally, as a Benedictine catholic school there is a strong interrelation between “labora et lege” – working and reading (learning). As a result, students are not only learning in an old monastery, but also the pedagogical principles are based on both, learning and doing.

This can also be seen in how we have changed the curriculum for our senior classes: students can choose between two new subjects, Netzwerk Kunst und Netzwerk Körper.

Netzwerk Kunst is based on the idea that students should be enabled to produce art in an interdisciplinary way by combining music, painting, poetry, modern media etc.

Netzwerk Körper shall give students the opportunity to further focus on natural sciences with the aim of investigating the phenomena of sports, nutrition etc. in order to lead a healthy lifestyle.

It is very important for us to take into account that monasteries have always been places for education, art and also handcraft. As a result, our students spend three lessons a week on enhancing their competences as far as manual crafts are concerned. It can somehow be compared to an apprenticeship, but only for one semester per craft. We offer:

•        carpentry: working with wood

•        goldsmith workshop: metal processing, jewellery

•        repair café: enabling students to repair household appliances, for instance

•        media: being able to work with various programmes for editing photos, pictures, films etc.

•        cooking

•        sculpting

What is more, for five years, exposing our students to the question of what a self-determined and responsible member of contemporary society could know and do.

As a result,  the concept of Global Learning is one important pillar of our daily work in school.