ESC: Alternative school in Austria | Vulkanschule

The Vulkanschule is a primary and secondary school for pupils aged 6–14. It is a small school, with all together 45 pupils, situated in the countryside in South-Eastern Austria. The Vulkanschule is a private school with „Öffentlichkeitsrecht“, which means that we are legally like any other public school, with the only exception that the association financially sustaining the school is private: a registered society, „Verein“. We are a parents` initiative, and, not only financially dependent on the involvement and honorary participation of the parents. The Vulkanschule is the only school following a reformist education in the region of Feldbach. We teach according to Maria Montessori and Peter Petersen`s Jenaplan principles. Central ideas of our pedagogy are a holistic, project-oriented, interdisciplinary and mixed-age education, learner-centered, action-oriented and eager to keep up the joy of learning. Our main task is to provide the children with help and opportunities to become critical, decision-making, self-confident and responsible persons. We focus on exercise, experience in all phases of development. This is done through the following pedagogical principles: • Strengthening of self-confidence and self-worth in one appreciative social environment; • Transfer of responsibility; Building personal responsibility for work materials, work posture, personal well-being and Wellbeing of others; • Developing talents in a learning environment without pressure • Individual learning support • Developing problem-solving strategies in the sense of “nonviolent communication" • Respectful and attentive treatment of fellow persons and of environment • Environmentally conscious thinking and acting with regard to the sustainability and the ecological footprint • Healthy diet and lifestyle At the same time, we would like to fulfil our educational mission: We as a school aim to foster a child's development, so that he/she can become a free, self-confident and responsible person, who is able to take care about himself/herself, other people and environment.