In the three days between the 22nd and the 24th of April this year, three students from the IBDP 1 generation joined in an exciting experience which was the annual student exchange program with the IBDP in Gimnazija Bežigrad, Ljubljana. Besides just offering an interactive way of learning more about the IB program in a neighbouring country, this exchange also gave the students a chance to build social and cultural awareness through first-hand experience.
The first part of the exchange in which the three students along with three teachers visited Zagreb took place between the 16th and 18th December of the previous year. During this time, the students from Ljubljana along with the students from our school were able to meet and form friendships during and after school hours. In school, the exchange students followed the regular schedule, which included taking part in classes with their hosts and learning more about XV. Gimnazija. After school, the hosts tried to showcase Zagreb and its landmarks, including the Advent, which was taking place at the time.
On the 22nd of April, the students from our school as well as three staff members including Mr. Nikola Dmitrović, the principal of XV. Gimanzija, Ms. Loreana Selišek Butina, French teacher and CAS coordinator, and Ms. Lada Silađin, the English B teacher, started their journey to Ljubljana with an early train ride. The train ride was a delightful experience showing the nature of Croatia and Slovenia in a beautiful way. After arriving to Gimnazija Bežigrad, the group received a tour of the school and a set of new schedules that the students would follow. Then, the students were free to go and meet up with their hosts and finally start their first class at the school. Overall, the high school in Bežigard is more spacious than XV. Gimanzija and has a lot of interesting decor that makes the environment in the school lively and bright. The school has four floors that all branch out into multiple hallways with classrooms and, recently, it has been connected to a new building that has even more new and modern classrooms inside. Besides that, in total Gimnazija Bežigrad has four rooms dedicated to sports, including a basketball and a volleyball court, a room for dance classes, and a boxing gym. The school also has a small canteen that serves daily breakfast and lunch portions at low prices which enables students to have an adequate diet during school hours. During the big break, students either rush to get breakfast at the canteen or eat one of the apples that are provided by a Ljubljana-based family farm that can be found in any of the many fruit baskets that are distributed all around the school. On the bottom floor, there is has a huge library with a vast collection of books in multiple languages ranging from comics to horror books.
Overall, the classes in Gimnazija Bežigard are very different compared to ones that take place in our school. Even though the program and the curriculum are the same, the changes in the approach to certain topics and the organization of the class lead to each class being unique and somewhat distinct. The class that deviated the most from the classes at XV. Gimnazija was definitely the Slovenian HL class. On the second day, instead of partaking in the usual Croatian class, the students took part in a class focused on Slovenian literature and language. Even though the Croatian and Slovenian language have similar origins and overlap in certain areas, it was interesting to see how they differ and how different a text can sound if read in Croatian compared to the same text read in the Slovenian language.
Moreover, the students weren’t the only ones gaining new knowledge. Another aspect that the Bežigrad exchange considers is the gaining of new experiences for teachers. While the principal worked hand in hand with the DP coordinator of Gimnazija Bežigard, the other teachers were following classes in their field. By doing this they all managed to learn more about how the school functions and got to learn about different and new organization tactics and learning approaches.
Outside of the school, the students from our school got to learn about a variety of cultures. Since Gimnazija Bežigrad has a big population of international students it was not surprising that two out of the three hosts were originally from Russia. Because of that the students also managed to have first-hand experience of Russian culture and cuisine. Overall, besides visiting the most popular landmarks in Ljubljana, the students also visited antique shops, went on walks through Tivoli Park and enjoyed the rest of their days under the sun in cafes.
This exchange was more than just a three-day trip. It was an opportunity given to students to experience what life in Ljubljana was like. It was a chance to learn about new cultures, meet new people and to recognize the IB program as more than just an educational program but rather a community instead. Stay tuned for similar exchanges taking place in the forthcoming school years!
