Sint-Dimpnacollege Geel

Besides their mother tongue Dutch, our pupils follow for at least 3 years French, English and German. Nearly all these boys and girls will be going to universities or to other higher education schools. The school has a staff of about 70. It gots its name from a local saint, whose cult formed the origin of a very old, traditional method in treating the mentally ill, as it is still practised in Geel.

The Sint-Dimpnacollege arose 1 september 2001 as the result of a reorganisation of secondary education in Geel. Before, there was the Sint-Dimpnalyceum, a former secondary girls school, aged 12-18, and the Sint-Aloysiuscollege, a former secondary boys school, aged 12-18. Within the new school community KOGEKA pupils, teachers, headmasters and names were exchanged. Result: the Sint-Dimpnacollege now has boys and girls aged 14-18 and the Sint-Aloysiusinstituut has boys and girls aged 12-14.

Dimpna International Inc.

Since 1992 our school has built up some experiences with international exchange projects. In that year we invited one school of each country of the European Community for one week in Geel. That “European week” was repeated in Luxembourg (L, 1995), Helsinki (FIN, 1996), Kingston-upon-Hull (UK, 1997), Athens (GR, 1998), Mainz (D,2000) and Neumarkt am Wallersee (A,2001).

Meanwhile we started projects with schools from Vejle (DK), Rethymno (GR), Porto (P), Xanten (D), ‘s Hertogenbosch (NL), Cinisello Balsamo (I), Interlaken (CH), Vänersborg (S), Rareny (PL), Salo (I),Ormilia (GR), Pompia (GR), Dijon (F), Mainz (D), Kongsberg (N), Bagno a Ripoli (I), Paris (F), Holbaek (DK), La Ville du Bois (F), Larisa (GR), Barcs (H), ,Böllnas (S), Gaigalava (LV), Litvinov (CZ), Paleo Faliron (GR) and Fagaras (ROM).

The reason why we do this, is simple. The aim of education at school is to prepare our pupils for society. That society is increasingly internationalising, certainly in the small country called Belgium. The world is becoming one big house. But do we feel at home in it? While physical distances are diminishing due to technical developments,mental borders of extreme nationalism and creepy racism are growing. While the economical Europe is unifying more and more, some fear that the European cultures will degenerate. Therefore, if we want our pupils to become real world citizens, we have to arrange meetings with pupils from other countries in their own environment, so that they can experience foreign languages, habits, cultures, countries,… as an enrichment, not as a threat. Europe will only be truly unified in the hearts of the Europeans, not with paper trade treaties.

Every exchange project is different, but the KOGEKA- schools always try to respect some principles.

1. Exchanges are very worthwile, although not compulsory at St.-Dimpna's. That's why we always work with volunteers, not with class groups! Any pupil can participate. We do not select on the basis of the knowledge of foreign languages or study results, eventually we take the motivation into account.

2. In principle exchanges are reserved for the pupils of our fifth form (16-17 years old) because of educational and practical reasons. Longer lasting projects can start with pupils of our fourth form (15-16) and end with our sixth form (17-18).

3. Because of the mixed up groups of pupils, all preparations have to done outside the lessons. That's why motivation is an important feature for our exchange pupils.

4. Exchanges are an excellent way of practising foreign languages. During the exchanges the aim is not to speak perfectly English (or French or German),but to dare it (as good as possible)

5. All exchange participants stay in host families, preferably one guest per host family. This highly benefits the ready knowledge of foreign languages and the acquitance of the manners and customs of the host country. Besides, this is not only the cheapest way to stay abroad, but also the most pleasant and informing. The participants get to know the every days life, not the tourist mask.

6. Exchanges are based on reciprocity: those who have stayed in a host family, will receive their former host in their house. Only when this is impossible for serious reasons, we deviate from this base.

7. Exchanges are expensive. That's why we always try to get as much financial support as possible from e.g. the Flemish Ministry of Education or the European Union.

8. Financial problems may never be the only reason for a pupil not to participate in an exchange project. In such cases, we consider lighten the costs for the pupil in one way or another.

9. Exchange projects deal with a theme. The theme and the programme are determined in consultation with the partner school(s).

10. The exchange program usually is a tasteful cocktail of lessons,study tours,social and cultural activities and tourist trips, dependent on the theme. Experience told us that this is a very enjoyable recipe tot widen your cultural horizon…

I hope you understood well: these are the principles WE hold on to, not necessarily our partners. Every school has its own educational project and the freedom to organise its exchange projects according to it. But its's good to know each other's point of view towards exchanging pupils, to prevent misunderstandings.