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A European School () is a type of international school emphasising a multilingual and multicultural pedagogical approach to the teaching of nursery, primary and secondary students, leading to the European Baccalaureate as their secondary leaving qualification. Each European School is set up, financed, and operated by the international organisation, the " European Schools", controlled jointly by the member states of the European Union and the European Commission. The schools prioritise, for enrolment purposes, the children of EU staff. The first European School, founded in
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
, in 1953, had the objective of providing an education to the children of employees of the institutions of the
European Coal and Steel Community The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was a European organization created after World War II to integrate Europe's coal and steel industries into a single common market based on the principle of supranationalism which would be governe ...
— a forerunner of today's
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
. Originally, a private initiative of employees of the ECSC, the concept attracted the attention of EU founding father, Jean Monnet as capturing the spirit of the post- war effort to reconcile and integrate
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. As of September 2017, there are thirteen European Schools located in six EU member states in close proximity to European institutions. Since 2005, upon a recommendation of the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
, the title of an " Accredited European School" has been available for schools under national jurisdiction and financing, which have been approved, by the
Board of Governors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulations ...
of the European Schools, to offer the European Schools' curriculum and the European Baccalaureate.


Legal status

The schools, despite their close connection to the EU, are neither EU bodies, nor under the full jurisdiction of the individual member states of the European Union. They are instead administered and financed through the international organisation "The European Schools", established by means of an intergovernmental
treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
, the 1957 Statute of the European School, since repealed and replaced by the 1994 Convention Defining the Statute of the European Schools. All
EU member states The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated population of over 449million as of 2024. The EU is often de ...
, as well as the EU itself, and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) are party to this agreement. As part of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, it will remain party to the convention until the end of the academic year ongoing at the end of the transition period. The Schools are legally recognised in all participating jurisdictions as public bodies.


Locations

There are thirteen European Schools, (sometimes designated as "Type 1" European Schools in official documents) found in eight municipalities, across six EU countries, in close proximity to EU institutions, or in the case of the European School, Munich, the European Patent Organisation. There are currently five European Schools in Belgium (four in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
and one in Mol) and discussions are currently being held about building a fifth school in Brussels, to open in 2027. In 2017, with the relocation of European Union-seconded researchers and their families following the formation of the successor project to the Joint European Torus fusion energy research programme, the European School, Culham was closed. The school affirmed this move was not connected with
Brexit Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
. On 9 July 2021 the decision was made to move the Netherlands-based school from
Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...
, to
Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland. Alkmaar is well known fo ...
.


Curriculum

The
curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...
is common to all thirteen schools and is centrally controlled by the Board of Inspectors and the
Board of Governors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulations ...
.


Secondary level

Compulsory subjects for Years 1–7 of the secondary school: * First language (normally mother tongue) * Second language (Usually one of English, French or German, with some schools providing a local language such as Spanish, Italian, Danish or Dutch as alternate option) * Mathematics * History (instructed in second language from Year 3) * Geography (instructed in second language from Year 3) * Ethics/religion (instructed in second language from Year 3) * Physical education (instruction in second language is possible from Year 3) Compulsory for Years 1–3 of the secondary school: *Art *Music Compulsory subjects for Years 1–5 of the secondary school: *Third language (any EU official language, as long as a minimum number of students choose it in the same school) *Natural sciences: physics, chemistry and biology (usually combined for Years 1–3) Compulsory subjects for Years 6–7 of the secondary school: * Philosophy * Physics and/or chemistry and/or biology (at least one science subject is obligatory) Optional subjects: * ICT (instructed in second language) and Latin in Year 2—3 and 4—5 (you can stop between the first and second cycle of Latin) *Economics (instructed in second language), music, or a fourth and fifth language in Years 4–7


Foreign language education

All modern foreign languages offered are taught using the direct method where the lessons are taught in the language being learned, and the use of the student's native tongue is discouraged. These foreign languages lessons are shared with pupils from other language streams. The idea is to encourage the pupils to use the language they are learning as a means of crossing the communication barrier between themselves and pupils from other language streams. From Year 3 onwards of the secondary school, History and Geography as well as other secondary subjects such as Music are taught in each student's second language. Many of the pupils find themselves in a foreign country, so are surrounded by a foreign language. Some pick it up through language immersion, hence some lessons are taught in the national language of the host country.


European Baccalaureate

The European Baccalaureate is the leaving certification of the European Schools, and should be distinguished from the
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...
(IB) and the baccalaureates of various national systems. It is a two-year course assessing the performance of students in the subjects taught in Years 6–7, and culminating in a final series exams taken at the end of Year 7. As per the multilingual ethos of the Schools, certain subjects are instructed and assessed in each student's respective second language. Details of the examinations are set out in the Annex of the Statute of the European School and in the regulations for the European Baccalaureate. Those students undertaking the European Baccalaureate are required to study at least 8 and up to a maximum of 11 academic subjects, in addition to physical education and moral/religion, with different weightings according to the course choices made when commencing the Baccaluareate. The final mark is calculated as a percentage, where 50% is the minimum for a pass. The European Baccalaureate is administered and directly supervised by an external examining board appointed annually by the Board of Governors. The examining board consists of up to three representatives of each member state, who must satisfy the conditions governing the appointment of equivalent examining boards in their respective countries. It is presided over by a senior university educator appointed by each member state in turn, assisted by a member of the Board of Inspectors of the Schools. Article 5 (2) of the Statute provides that holders of the Baccalaureate shall: *enjoy, in the Member State of which they are nationals, all the benefits attaching to the possession of the diploma or certificate awarded at the end of secondary school education in that country; and *be entitled to seek admission to any university in the territory of any Member State on the same terms as nationals of that Member State with equivalent qualifications. The first awards of the European Baccalaureate were made in 1959.


Common extracurricular activities and events

Sports teams of the European Schools compete in the biennial Eurosport event, with the schools alternating as hosts. In addition, students of the schools have the opportunity to take part in the annual European Schools Science Composium, the winners of which represent the European Schools in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists. The European Schools also cooperate to take advantage of their unique relationship to EU institutions to provide students on an annual basis with the opportunity to take part in political simulations of EU meetings, held on the premises of the institutions themselves. Students get the opportunity to role-play as delegates of EU member state governments in a Model
European Council The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the European Union (EU). It is composed of the he ...
, MEPs in a Model
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
, or international journalists covering the meetings. The federation of student representatives of the schools, CoSup, organises a "Europarty", held in a different European city each academic year, and open to any student of the European Schools over 16 years of age to attend.


Notable alumni

* Chris Adami (Brussels I) is a German professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, as well as professor of physics and astronomy at
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
. * Tommaso Allan (Culham) is a
rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
player for
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and Perpignan * Dick Annegarn (Brussels I) is a Dutch songwriter who worked most of the time in France. In his youth he lived in Brussels and he celebrated this city in his most famous song, called "Bruxelles". * Juan Becerra Acosta (Brussels I) is a Mexican journalist and TV anchor. * Henry Brett (Culham) is a British champion polo player. * Ulrich Daldrup (Brussels I) is a German politician and academic. He is Professor of Business Administration and International Management at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences and a former Mayor of
Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...
(1994–1999). * Eric Everard (Brussels and Luxembourg I) is a Belgian manager, who created in 1988 the European Student's Fair. In 1997 he founded Artexis, one of the largest organizers of exhibitions and trade fairs in Europe. * Giovanni Ferrero (Brussels) is an Italian business manager, chief executive of Ferrero SpA * Max Gazzè (Brussels II) is an Italian songwriter and musician who worked in Belgium, France and in Italy. He has worked with many European artists including Stephan Eicher and Stewart Copeland. * Karin Giegerich (Varese) is a German actress, who worked in Italy, Germany, Switzerland and France. * Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (Brussels I) is a German film director who worked in Germany and in the United States. He is best known for writing and directing the 2007 Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others and The Tourist. * Boris Johnson (Brussels I) is a British politician, former leader of the Conservative Party, and former
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
(July 2019 – September 2022). He previously held the offices of
Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...
(2008–2016), and Foreign Secretary of the UK (July 2016 – July 2018). * Jo Johnson (Brussels I) is a British politician and former UK Minister for Universities and Science (May 2015 – January 2019) (July – September 2019), and Transport (January – November 2018). * Rachel Johnson (Brussels I) is a British editor, journalist, television presenter, and author. * Bas Kast (Munich) is a German journalist and writer. * Christian Keysers (Munich) is a German neuroscientist. In 2004 he received the Marie Curie Excellence Award for outstanding research . * Thomas Larkin (Varese) is an ice hockey defender. He played with the Italian national ice hockey team. * Viktor Lazlo (real name Sonia Dronier) (Mol) is a French singer, actress and writer. She worked in Belgium and France. * Mark Leonard (Brussels I) is a British political scientist, author, and the co-founder and director of the
European Council on Foreign Relations The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is a pan-European think tank with offices in seven European capitals. Launched in October 2007, it conducts research on European foreign and security policy and provides a meeting space for decis ...
. * Stella Maxwell (Brussels II) is a Victoria's Secret model. * Elizabeth May (Luxembourg I) is a lawyer and athlete, who is the 2011 ITU Aquathlon World Champion and 2009 European Triathlon Championships silver medalist. She competed in the
triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...
event at the
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
and 2008 Summer Olympics. * Margherita Missoni (Varese) is the niece of Ottavio Missoni and the daughter of Angela, founders of the Missoni fashion house. After having worked for some years as a model, including for Estée Lauder Companies, she became the icon of the "Missoni acqua" perfume in 2006, thus becoming an active member of the Missoni family group. *
Brian Molko Brian Molko (born 10 December 1972) is a British-American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist of the band Placebo (band), Placebo. He is known for his nasal voice and high registered vocals, feminine/androgynous appearance ...
(Luxembourg I) is a songwriter, guitarist and lead vocalist of the band
Placebo A placebo ( ) can be roughly defined as a sham medical treatment. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. Placebos are used in randomized clinical trials ...
. * Morten Helveg Petersen (Brussels I) is a Danish politician for the Danish Social Liberal Party and
Member of the European Parliament A member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been Election, elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the European Coal and S ...
(2014–). He previously served as a member of the Folketing (1998–2009). * Sarah Teichmann (Karlsruhe) is a scientist at the University of Cambridge, UK. * Ursula von der Leyen (Brussels I) is a German politician and
President of the European Commission The president of the European Commission, also known as president of the College of Commissioners is the Head of government, head of the European Commission, the Executive (government), executive branch of the European Union (EU). The president ...
(December 2019–). She was formerly a member of the
Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet (assembly), Diet") is the lower house of the Germany, German Federalism in Germany, federal parliament. It is the only constitutional body of the federation directly elected by the German people. The Bundestag wa ...
(2009–2019), and member of the German government under Chancellor Merkel, holding the positions of Federal Minister of Defence (2013–2019), Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs (2009–2013) and Federal Minister of Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (2005–2009). * Marina Wheeler QC (Brussels I) is a British
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
,
author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
and
columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...
. * Diederik Wissels (Brussels I) is a Dutch jazz pianist who has received many awards such as the Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros, the Prix Adami and the Prix du Musicien Européen de l’Académie du Jazz. * Mathias Olesen (Luxembourg II) plays for
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
team FC Köln and the
Luxembourg national football team The Luxembourg national football team (nicknamed the ''Red Lions''; , , ) is the national association football, football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team plays most of its home matches at the ...
. * Marta Estevez Garcia (Luxembourg I) Spanish-Luxembourgish football player, playing for Luxembourg women's national football team. * Christos Floros (Luxembourg I and later on Luxembourg II) - Greek-Luxembourgish politician.


See also

* Accredited European School * European Baccalaureate * European Schools


References


External links

* {{Authority control Educational policies and initiatives of the European Union European Schools (intergovernmental organisation)