Innovative learning concepts, research-orientation and holistic education: These principles have characterised the work of the Laborschule and the Oberstufen-Kolleg in Bielefeld for 50 years. On 9 September 1974, the two experimental schools, which explore new forms of teaching and learning, were opened as experimental schools of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. They are conceptually supported by the Laborschule Research Unit and the Oberstufen-Kolleg Research Unit, both at the Faculty of Education of Bielefeld University. Under the motto ‘50 years of new learning’, the anniversary will be celebrated with a week of festivities from 9 to 14 September – with events on the school grounds and at various locations in the city. The highlight will be an open-air concert followed by a party.
The celebration week starts on Monday, 9 September, with an education mile from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., where the Laborschule and the Oberstufen-Kolleg will present products and results of their work – in the schools’ premises and on the way from the Kurt-Schumacher-Straße tram stop to the schools.
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Joint ceremony of the two experimental schools
The official ceremony will take place from 3 to 6 pm on Field 2 of the Oberstufen-Kolleg. Former and active members as well as other companions of the experimental schools can register here. Guests from politics, education and science as well as current and former members of both schools are invited. The ceremony is being organised jointly by the two experimental schools and the research units. Afterwards, an exhibition of drawings by Till Mette from his time at the Oberstufen-Kolleg (OS) will be opened. The book ‘Art, Poetry and Music at OS’ will also be presented.
An open-air concert to crown the festival week
From Tuesday to Thursday, 10 to 12 September, the Laborschule will be organising an event under the motto ‘You. Me. We. School into the City’, with numerous activities in the city. Guided tours of the Laborschule will be offered on Wednesday, 11 September (book here). The Laborschule will be celebrating a birthday party just for the pupils in the morning of Friday, 13 September. The public aesthetics festival will follow on the same day from 6 pm at the Oberstufen-Kolleg – with a stage programme, exhibitions and a film by Daniel Titze showing interviews with students from the founding phase. Contemporary witnesses will be organising an event on Saturday, 14 September from 2 p.m. at the Oberstufen-Kolleg with a focus on school history and current events.
The highlight of the festival week is a major event on Saturday: an open-air concert followed by a party. The bands Hundreds and Girlwoman will perform on the stage in the outdoor area of the Laborschule. After the concert, visitors move to the party in the cafeteria of the Laborschule, where a DJ will be spinning. Food trucks will offer snacks on site and cold drinks will also be available. The festival starts at 4 pm and ends late in the evening. Advance sales for the event have already started. Tickets are available online.
© Mike-Dennis Müller
One book and four conferences
In addition to the week of celebrations, there will be further contributions from the two academic institutions of the experimental schools. The Laborschule Research Unit is publishing an anthology with 16 interviews on the history of the school: ‘Im Alltag der Reform’ (In the everyday life of reform). The book will be published by Julius Klinkhardt at the beginning of September.
As part of the anniversary year, the Laborschule Research Unit and the Oberstufen-Kolleg Research Unit organised a conference of the Collaborative Action Research Network Germany, Austria, Switzerland (CARN D.A.CH.) in February.
The Oberstufen-Kolleg Research Unit is also accompanying the anniversary with three further conferences spread throughout the year in person as well as an online series. The 35th conference of the ‘Empiriegestützte Schulentwicklung’ (EMSE) network in April and the Bielefeld spring conference in May have already taken place. The conference of the Association of University and Experimental Schools (VUVS) will follow later in the year. The online series is entitled ‘Zukunft der Oberstufe gestalten – Digitale Impulse’ (Shaping the future of the upper secondary level – digital impulses). The ten monthly one-hour events aim to place the upper secondary level more firmly at the centre of school pedagogy. Topics covered include democracy education in times of artificial intelligence, criticism of racism and equalisation of disadvantages.
Recipe for success: school and research working together
The Laborschule and the Oberstufen-Kolleg have turned the traditional school concept on its head. They focus on open learning environments and interdisciplinary projects instead of frontal teaching and rigid subject segregation. As inclusive schools, they place particular emphasis on individualised support for each and every pupil. Both schools regularly integrate new learning methods into their lessons, building on tried and tested concepts. The teaching staff work closely with their research units, which are based at the university’s Faculty of Education. In consultation with the researchers, the teachers analyse and document their own teaching and school development projects. An annually updated research and development plan serves to further develop learning structures and content. In this way, the experimental schools adapt learning and teaching to social change and take into account the requirements of science, economy and professional life – thereby providing impetus for mainstream schools.
[Translation generated with automated support]
