Simply Abu Dhabi XXXV

2 6 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I I t’s a crisp, bright day to be walking around St. Gallen, a postcard-pretty Swiss town to the south of Lake Constance with a charming traffic-free centre, fascinating architecture, and quaint restaurants and shops dotted around. The town’s Baroque cathedral houses the famous Abbey Library, with a breathtaking Rococo hall containing over 170,000 books and documents dating from as early as the 9th century. Although it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are likely more nationalities that visit another historical institution nearby – the Institut auf dem Rosenberg. This world-famous international boarding school has students from around 50 different countries attending. Rosenberg was founded in 1889 and has built an impeccable reputation based on the philosophy of the 19th century Swiss educationalist Heinrich Pestalozzi, who said, “Learning to live is the ultimate aim of all education.” The total number of students at Rosenberg, aged between 6 to 18, is intentionally kept relatively low and capped at 230, to ensure class sizes are small enough for dedicated individual attention in study and career planning. Manuel Bernardo, Head of Communications & Relationships Management, picks me up in St. Gallen and we climb up into the hills overlooking the town and begin a two-day tour of this venerated institution. Manuel is the perfect host as he himself was a student at Rosenberg – he knows what it’s like to study there, and he says it was a natural move for him to join the management and help run the school. He is passionate and knowledgeable about all aspects of Rosenberg and he clearly knows every corner of the beautiful campus, which comprises a collection of tall, meticulously kept classically Swiss buildings. It’s a tranquil and bucolic setting… ideal for academic endeavour and personal growth. As Manuel shows me around the state-of-the art facilities across the disciplines of art, science, humanities, languages, sports and more, it strikes me how relaxed all the students are. We join an arts class for ten minutes and listen to the teacher expound about the changing nature of perception. The teacher-student power distance is minimal. Everyone in the class behaves as equals and contributes to the discussion with ease. This is the respect- based philosophy of Rosenberg in action, to empowers everyone, teachers and students alike, in their learning journey. As a result, students aren’t terrified of professors in the classrooms or as they cross on the stairs and in the halls between classes. The stereotypical boarding school terror is alien to Rosenberg. A high level of discipline is kept through the adherence to the Rosenberg Code, which is not unlike a good national legal system, and students gain their position in four categories. The majority of Rosenberg students are in the highest ‘star’ category. This is not achieved through fear or punishment, they just seem… sensible, respectful and mature. The code has clearly stated expectations and rights at Rosenberg, as well as clear consequences and rewards. Rosenberg reminds me of a saying: ‘If ignorance plus power equals tyranny, if ignorance plus freedom equals chaos, if ignorance plus money equals corruption, and if ignorance plus poverty equals crime – then education is the answer. The most crucial defence of all must be education.’ The educational philosophy of the school is to offer an individual path to each student. This is why Institut auf dem Rosenberg is the only school that offers five different paths of education. The High School Diploma & Advanced Placement Courses (AP), British IGCSE ALevels and the International Baccalaureate – IB DP Programme. Rosenberg also offers a broad range of courses in its summer and winter schools, as well as placement programmes supporting students with applications to universities worldwide. Rosenberg is reassuringly expensive – at approximately 130,000 CHF ($130,900) per academic school year, the fees are double those of the finest boarding schools in the USA and the U.K. As such, Rosenberg sets itself apart by offering value – both in academic terms as well as through values: Rosenberg teaches ethics and guides students in the development of their personalities, preparing students for the world and successful careers in any chosen field. At lunchtime, one bell rings and all the females sit. Another bell rings and the males sit – a sign of traditional gentlemanly conduct. The food is home cooked, healthy and seasonal, and overall the dining hour is a pleasant, civilised hour. It is also notable how multi-cultural the school is – so many nationalities join together in harmony for a meal. Manuel is very involved in the student selection process and he explains that he looks beyond academic merit for character and talent to develop. “Our students are taught to approach any problem as a challenge, applying skills and using their knowledge in their search for creative solutions. We expose our students to a wide range of subjects and add real-life context, ensuring they connect information across the board.” But what encourages students to keep trying and not to give up? Manuel considers this and responds, “Failure is not criticised or negated at Rosenberg, much like the Google philosophy, we believe the quicker you fail and overcome those mistakes, the quicker you can succeed.” Like Manuel himself, it’s also notable how well-presented everyone is. There are no uniforms. “A uniform would deliver uniformity and that would contradict our search for character and individuality.” Manuel says. The dress code is broad, but appears to be grounded in elegance. As we continue the tour, further little learning clues reveal a partnership between ethics and traditional values as well as progressive technology. Outside one classroom a sign says “Value of the month: Tolerance.” Inside that classroom is a huge flat-screen monitor, which is actually a state-of-the-art, interactive white board that links to student’s smartphones, with the contents of the screen being swiped or “thrown” from the screen directly onto their devices.