A typical school day in Finland

Welcome to Kallaveden Lukio, an ordinary upper secondary school in eastern Finland. The students normally spend three years of studying before graduating and continuing into higher studies. But what makes a Finnish school different from an Austrian school? Let’s have a quick look at how things are done in Finland.  

During the school year, which is divided into five periods, the students have five different schedules. The schedules are put together by the students themselves, according to which subjects interest them the most. The students graduate after they have completed enough courses and taken a final exam in at least five different subjects.  

Typically, a school day starts at 8:10 or 9:40 and ends around 14:20 or 15:50. This means that the longest possible school day lasts less than eight hours. Every lesson is 75 minutes long, followed by a 15-minute-break. After the second or third lesson of the day, students are given a 30-minute lunch break, where they can enjoy a free lunch in the school cafeteria.  

All materials needed for studying are free for the students, including a laptop, notebooks and pencils. Students have their books on their computer, and the majority of the school work is done in this way. Teachers are appreciated for their work and the student-teacher relationship is not very formal. Students call their teachers by their first name, and there is no need to stand up when teachers arrive for their classes.  

Otherwise, studying in Finland is very similar. There are tests, projects, presentations and homework, just like in Austria and the subjects are nearly the same. The Finnish system is quite student-centered, and focuses a lot on the strenghts and well-being of individual students.  

by Vartia Siiri, 7ck (exchange student)

The Chemistry Olympiad

What happens if you mix together potassium hydroxide and thiocyanate? What colour will the mix of the two have? Such questions can easily be answered by experienced chemists, but how do students of our school compare?

Young, aspiring students of chemistry, studying the science of atoms and molecules, can take part in the Austrian Chemistry Olympiad every year and test their knowledge and logic skills when trying to answer questions related to all fields of this broad subject. From organic combustion over inorganic reactions to radioactive decay and all the way back to synthesis reactions, both theoretical and practical skills are put to the test.

This year, the Styrian contest was held in Deutschlandsberg and there were roughly 50 participants. From BG/BRG Leibnitz, Clemens Haring, Lara Lechner (both 8aw) as well as Péter Rath (7aw) took part after participating in a preparation course with Prof. Kronabitter, traditionally taking place each Wednesday in lessons 7 and 8. After all this hard work, Clemens fell just short of winning a third prize, while Lara and Péter managed to secure a second prize. Unfortunately, only the first three participants further qualified for the national round. Nevertheless, we can be proud of our achievements in the field of chemistry.

by Rath Péter, 7aw

Congratulations to our Headmaster!

Dir. HR Mag. Josef Wieser has recently been honoured for the hard work he has put into all matters related to our School, the BG/BRG Leibnitz, in the last few years. The well-deserved, new title “Hofrat”, shows the appreciation our headmaster has received for his endless efforts to make our School one of the best in all of Austria.

Many Congratulations from the School Newspaper Team!