The old cantonal school of
Aarau (in German: AKSA, Alte Kantonsschule Aarau or Alte Kanti) was founded in 1802 and is the oldest non-church
secondary school in
Switzerland.
History
From 1802 to 1896, the cantonal school was housed in what is now the Amthaus (today home of the cantonal police) on Laurenzenvorstadt. Johann Samuel von Gruner, the factory owner Johann Rudolf Meyer and the writer Andreas Moser, who created also Switzerland's first gymnasium here, were involved in its foundation.
The founders were strongly influenced by the ideas of
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (, ; 12 January 1746 – 17 February 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach.
He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking ...
. The school was
non-denominational and saw itself as a reform school. The first director was Georg Franz Hofmann, the secretary of the
Helvetic government. Until 1813 the school was private. Around 1896 the present Einstein House was inaugurated, it was later named after a former pupil of the school, the physicist
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
. In 1917 the extension to the Einstein House which now included an
observatory was built. For a long time the school has had the reputation of being one of the best educational institutions in Switzerland.
In 1969 the Karrerhaus was completed. In 2006 the rebuilt
Karl-Moser-Haus was inaugurated. in 2008 the new Cafeteria was opened in the Frank building, where the library is also located. In 2014, 2020 and 2021 the Alte Kantonsschule Aarau received the School Prize of the Science Olympiad.
Curriculum
Courses
The Old cantonal school of Aarau is a public
secondary school in
Aarau. Next to the high school there's also a school for economics (WMS) and a school for computer science (IMS).
Each year there is a separate sports curriculum for
professional athletes and an immersion class, in which the pupils are taught in German and English. Since 2006 there's also a NAWIMAT class, which prepares students for a job in science for example at the
ETH
(colloquially)
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, image_size =
, established =
, type = Public
, budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021)
, rector = Günther Dissertori
, president = Joël Mesot
, a ...
. These classes are separate from the normal classes.
Languages
In addition to the mandatory languages
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
French, students can also choose other languages to learn like
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
,
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
,
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
,
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
and, since 2006, even
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
. Since 2014, students can also take courses in
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
and
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
.
At the school the small and large Latinum, the Graecum, the Hebraicum as well as the Cambridge
Advanced and the
Proficiency can be taken.
Music
In addition to the option of taking lessons on various musical instruments, there is also a
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
, an
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
and numerous
ensembles. In addition to the basic subject, a main subject in third grade and a supplementary subject in fourth grade are also offered.
Theatre
There is a drama course. The rehearsed plays are performed publicly roughly every six months.
Computer Science
Since 2003, keyboard writing was a compulsory subject at the high school as well as at the WMS, although the exams at the Gymnasium were less strict than at the WMS.
Since 2010, the school has been offering a computer science course (IMS) with a commercial vocational baccalaureate and a federal certificate of proficiency in "Computer Science / Application Development". The course consists of a three-year period of study in Aarau with a 5-week internship in the second year and a 4-week language course in the third year. The fourth year is intended as a practical year.
Since 2005 the school has been an authorised
ECDL test centre, whereby ECDL diplomas can be acquired voluntarily at the high school, while the acquisition in the WMS is part of the
curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
.
Since 2017, computer science is also a compulsory subject for all high school students. In addition to the basics of programming in several
programming language
A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs. Most programming languages are text-based formal languages, but they may also be graphical. They are a kind of computer language.
The description of a programming ...
s, media competence is also taught.
Sports
Sports lessons are held at the Telli sports center, which is approximately 950 meters away by foot from the school.
There are many
elective courses for example
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...
,
Trampolin/ Air-track and
football.
References
External links
Homepage of the SchoolAssociation of former students of the old cantonal school of aarauGuide for exchange students, provides much information on the school.Map of the Campus
{{Coord, 47.3933, 8.0528, type:edu_region:CH, display=title
Secondary schools in Switzerland
Aarau
1802 establishments in Switzerland