Best Practice: Bundesrealgymnasium 19 Wien

1. INTERCULTURAL/INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE / Interkultureller/religionsübergreifender Dialog

When carried out? March 2007
Class 2B
Class 2B is a bilingual class with students from various cultural and religious backgrounds. There are students without any religious creed, one Buddhist (who was not involved, asking himself what was going on...), two Muslims, Roman Catholics and Protestants.

Fights related to class hierarchy among boys resulted in verbal abuse of members of different religious denominations like, "All Muslims are terrorists .." etc.

When teachers learnt about such pejorative remarks and religious insults, the teachers of religious instruction, Mrs. Friedl (Roman Catholic) and Mr. Pobaschnig (Protestant) quickly worked out a mini- project in their respective groups and emphasized the common roots of the 3 world religions as well as the concept of religious tolerance (BASIC VALUE).

They also contacted the Muslim teacher (Muslim students are not taught at our school) and he will be present for the final Mass at the end of the school year, which will be ecumenical.

Evaluation
Up to now the situation has eased so that further steps, like inviting the Muslim teacher and have a common class project have been cancelled.

Is this best practice transferable to other schools?
We found it helpful only to work with the students and not include the parents (which by the way never contacted us, probably because they trusted our decisions and determination to solve the problem).

2. The BRG19 Charity Project

When carried out?
From 1990 - November 2006

Describe shortly best practice

The aim of this project was fundraising for an orphanage in Romania,in Baraolt.
It is linked to the curriculum in the sense that such activities foster the social competence of the student.

The willingness to learn from what happened in the past is one of the major basic values, it implies tolerance and self-evaluation as well as self-confidence and even implies a bit of a revolutionary spirit tochange things for the better. Probably as an Austrian ( our country having a vivid past where you SHOULD FINALLY accept that things happened the way they did) some of us may have become much more sensitive to this topic.

Every November students, teachers and parents organised a big event, what we called "Rumänienbazar" and which was basically a Christmas market, where self- made presents from Christmas cards and tree decorations to jam were sold.

About €7000 were donated every year. In addition there were campaigns like the collection of washing powder, soft toys or school articles that were not sent but personally delivered to the orphanage. Also students went there, which was a highly motivating factor.

The project was stopped because the intention of the project was to help the orphanage to support itself, and now it seems that they can manage.

Evaluation
Despite the amount of work which rested on a team of teachers and in particular on the shoulders of two female teachers of religious instruction the support for the project even within the community (head of the 19th district, private sponsors...) was astonishing.

Is this best practice transferable to other schools?
It certainly is. You must take into consideration that it can only be a long-term project.

You can get information from Prof. Michaela Wahrmann war@brg19.at and Prof. Leibnitz lei@brg19.at

     

3. Research into the past

Ongoing since Sept. 2006
Carried out by a team of 3-4 teachers and upper-grade students

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the BRG Wien 19, Krottenbachsstresse in October 2007, teachers and students are investigating the archives, trying to find out as much as possible about former graduates.

Investigations are ongoing, but as far as we can see now, teachers and students alike are highly motivated and find their doings highly rewarding, although the absence/ disappearance of certain files and old- fashioned handwriting pose a certain problem.

Special attention will be paid to the pre-war years and World War 2 and some emigrants may be addressed and invited to our celebrations.

This research in history is obviously linked to the curriculum.
The results will be published in the official brochure on the occasion of the 100th anniversary.

Investigations are ongoing, but as far as we can see now, teachers and students alike are highly motivated and find their doings highly rewarding

It certainly is. The historical epoch that is emphasized will vary from country to country.

The official brochure will be sent to the partnerschools in October.
Read the interview with a former student about the Hitler-regime