Svendborg Gymnasium & HF is one of the largest Upper Secondary Schools in Denmark with 1,000 students and 100 teachers. The school has two academically oriented general upper secondary programmes:
- the 3-year Upper Secondary School Leaving Examination (STX) and
- the 2-year Higher Preparatory Examination Course (HF)
Both programmes prepare pupils for further studies and, at the same time, they develop the pupils' personal and general competence. The programmes aim at enhancing the pupils' independent and analytical skills as well as preparing them to become democratic and socially conscious citizens with a global outlook.The programmes comprise a wide range of both compulsory and optional subjects at different levels. The curriculum and examinations must follow national standards and are subject to external evaluation. Apart from subject-specific oral and written examinations, students must also prepare one or two major written assignments.
Admission requirements for STX are 9 years of basic school as well as certain subject requirements. For HF, admission requirements are 10 years of basic school or the equivalent thereof. STX is for those aged 16-19, whereas HF attracts both young people and adults.
History
Svendborg Gymnasium was founded in 1872. The school was originally located in Bagergade, one of Svendborg’s oldest streets. To begin with the school offered elementary programme with a school-leaving examination. In the 1909 the new Education Act was introduced restructuring the educational system in Denmark. Hence the upper secondary school was founded and the first class from Svendborg Gymnasium graduated in 1912 with six students only.
Throughout the years the school's ownership changed from private to public, and the ever growing number of students resulted twice in the relocation of the school. In 1932 the school was moved to a new building at Viebæltet and in the 1970s the school was relocated again to its present location at A.P. Møllersvej. In 2006 a new extension was added and a new sports centre was build. In 2010 the school bought the buildings from the public and in 2011 the renovation of SG's science department has started.
The school has changed its official name throughout the years:
Svendborg Realskole 1872-1912
Svendborg Realskole og Gymnasium 1912-1920
Svendborg Statsskole 1920-1932
Svendborg Statsgymnasium 1932-1986
Svendborg Gymnasium 1986 - 2007
Svendborg Gymnasium & HF 2007 -
The School's Headmasters
1872-1914: Johannes Moeller
1914-1927: Axel Mossin
1927-1942: Dietrich Petersen
1942-1952: Karl Nielsen
1952-1960: Poul Kierkegaard
1960–1979: Ejnar Sneskov
1979-2005: Ole Visti Petersen
2005-: Jesper Vildbrad
The current headmaster Jesper Vildbrad graduated from the Universities of Odense and Copenhagen in history and sports. He started his teaching career at Ollerup Idrætshøjskole, and later on at Svendborg Gymnasium. In 1997 he was appointed the headmaster of Tønder Gymnasium in Southern Jutland where he spent eight years before returning to Svendborg in 2005 and taking over after Ole Visti Petersen.
Intranet
Svendborg Gymnasium uses a Learning Management System, Fronter, which enables the students and the teachers to communicate with each other. Furthemore, the system allows for the provision of on-line learning and on-line assessment. All students and staff have an access to a wireless connection from wherever at school. In recent years an increasing number of students bring their notebooks to school, thus allowing for a flexible learning environment. Students get an easy access to virtual tools such as dictionaries, article archives and on-line libraries.
Another system which Svendborg Gymnasium use is Lectio. A system both students and teachers have access to. The users gain access through an internet browser. Lectio is used for class scheduling and is the place where teachers and students could be up-to-date with homework, changing of classrooms, missing students, calender, grades, etc.
The Sport Centre
Both students and physical education teachers work in good conditions and have modern sports facilities and halls at their disposal. All sports facilities are spacious and fully equipped, allowing for up-to-date physical education, including climbing walls, training rooms, and numerous basketball and volleyball courts. Apart from the obligatory physical education lessons, all students can freely participate in sport activities after school.
Free sport activities: volleyball, basketball, handball, football, ultimate frisbee etc.
Ultimate frisbee is not very common in Denmark, but the students at Svendborg Gymnasium are very talented and might become a great ultimate frisbee team in Denmark. Svendborg Gymnasium has qualified for the next national cup for secondary schools in the past few years and has achieved good results. In 2010 Svendborg Gymnasium was the host of the annual ultimate frisbee national cup for secondary schools.
Also the school's students who play handball and volleyball are very talented. The volleyball team has won the national cup for secondary schools and been to the finals in the last few years.
Student Democracy
The students are represented in all councils and committees set up by the school which deal with matters of interest to them. Also, they have representatives on the school board. Furthermore, each class is represented by two students in the students' council which has a meeting once a week. These meetings are led by the two presidents who are elected by the students themselves. In the student council everything that concerns the daily life at the school is discussed, and subsequently, students' proposals are brought forth in the relevant committees or to the headmaster.
