Anniversary at FSG
Anniversary at Friedrich-Schiller-Gymnasium under the patronage of the state’s premier
A remarkable anniversary at Friedrich-Schiller-Gymnasium is going to take place on Sunday, August 6th, 2017. A new German-Czech class is being formed at the school for the twentieth time in succession. At the beginning of the 1996 school year, the first 15 German students started in grade 5; two years later they were joined by the Czech students so that the first BINA-class (binational and bilingual) was ready to get going in 1998.
In the past 20 years, a total of 314 students have successfully graduated from this worldwide unique project, which includes both the Saxon Abitur (secondary school leaving diploma) and the appropriate Czech educational background. A certificate like this opens up a lot of opportunities in university studies or professional training in both countries, throughout Europe and beyond. There are hardly any college dropouts among the project’s alumni. Other students will follow in the years to come; the new BINA class is being formed this Sunday. The number of applicants for these classes has always exceeded the number of places available in them.
On Sunday, it is finally going to happen again. The German students will get to know their Czech classmates for the next six years. For the Czech students, on the other hand, it will be interesting to meet their German counterparts, their form teacher and their mentors. They are going to live in the school’s boarding house at the market square. As a surprise, each of them will be given a ‘Zuckertüte’, (a traditional bag of sweets for the first day of school) which is unknown in the Czech Republic. A grill buffet with German and Czech delicacies will conclude the day. Although his busy schedule didn’t allow Saxon Prime Minister Stanislaw Tillich to personally participate in the event, he gladly agreed to become its patron.
Matthias Rößler, President of the Saxon State Parliament also marked the date in his calendar. As the former Minister of Education he has been taken an active and essential part in the foundation and the development of the project.
Lots of guests from both countries, the students of the new class and their parents together with the teachers will surely look back at this event with pleasant memories.
Public Relations Group, Friedrich-Schiller-Gymnasium Pirna