Two countries, two schools, one student
Comparing schools in Austria and Belgium
Education systems and schools differ all over the world, which is why finding the best one is a highly discussed topic. Sebastian Jakope, a 22-years old student, went to school in his hometown in Austria, as well as in Belgium. I got the opportunity to interview him and get an insight in these countries schools through a student’s perspective.
Sebastian Jakope took part at an Erasmus project and went to school in Belgium, together with two of his classmates. The three of them went to a secondary school in the South of Styria, Austria, with a key aspect on languages. The school they’d visit in Belgium was Abbey de Flone in Amay. “This was the only school in this project. It’s a catholic private school with a boarding school for girls and an abbey with nuns.”
One of the hugest differences is the division of the school year. Whilst the year is split into two in Austria, an Autumn term/Winter semester and a Spring term/Summer semester, the year in Belgium is split into three trimester. “I was there for three months”, said Sebastian therefore.
Another difference is the grading system, that generally tends to differ in various countries. Whilst in Austria students are graded from one to five, one being the best and five being the worst grade, a point system is used in Belgium. “You can reach 20 points overall, from ten points on you’ve passed. It’s better than with five grades, as you can schedule it better as a student. However, performance is key. You have to pass everything and nobody would give you a point if you don’t deserve it. […] They’re a bit too strict with it.”
“The school focuses on natural sciences and mathematics. That meant more math classes than in my Austrian school, eight hours per week to be exact. Furthermore, two hours of biology, two hours chemistry and two hours physics.” To pick up on that amount of learning matter his teachers helped out and gave him additional classes. “In Austria no teacher would offer to do that.” The teachers were extremely friendly and helpful in general.
At the end he managed to be one of the best students in mathematics “even though they have three times more maths than we have in my school in Austria”, Sebastian explained proudly.
As the school was a full-time one, they had more classes in general, nevertheless: “they don’t teach creative classes like music or art, neither in public nor in private schools. In Austria, for example, almost everyone plays an instrument, it’s not like that in Belgium. I have to admit though, Austria has its musical background with all the classic music. […] What we had to clarify though, is that not every Austrian person enjoys or listens to Mozart and the others…”
Last, but definitely not least is the fact that the classes were held in French. This could for sure become a problem to students who want to study abroad. Sebastian, for example, only had French for a couple of years and that also just because he went to a school in Austria, that focuses on languages. In his Austrian school he had English, French and Latin, French coming in rather handy for this project and he didn’t struggle. “I learn languages rather easily. I’m fast with picking up speaking a language.”
Sebastians host family lived on the country side, or as he said “in the back of beyond. In our neighbourhood were only farms and stuff like that.” Therefore, he didn’t get to know the ‘big city life’, however, he wouldn’t have had the time for that anyways.
When I asked him about his leisure time he told me sarcastically ‘well, this was an all-day school. When you’re in school from 8am until 5pm you don’t have much leisure time.”
Furthermore, attendance in class is taken more seriously in Belgium, according to Sebastian. “They’re extremely accurate with that. If a child misses class just a few times, the mother or father has to come in and my host mom was a teacher as well, which didn’t make it any easier. […] It’s not that easy to skip class just because you can’t be bothered to go, like I did it in Austria.”
The only class he skipped all the time — he actually only went once — was physical education. “It was so boring, I just didn’t go. You didn’t get a grade for it anyways, so…ridiculous.”
However, Sebastian found some time to travel: “I was in all the bigger cities. I did my trips with my host family.” From all the cities he saw — Antwerp, Ostend, Brugge and some more — Brussels became his favourite. When he did his Interrail Journey through Europe a few years later, he made sure to come back with his friends: “Brussels is a great citiy. I don’t get people who don’t like it.”
Concluding, I wanted to know whether he considered coming back to Belgium for his studies. “I did see the country and it is beautiful and all that. However, there are better places to study. The universities’ reputation isn’t that good either.” The earth-science student does think about going abroad for his master diploma though. “The branches of study are better in Germany than in Austria, therefore I’m going to apply for a University in Germany.”
I wish him the best of luck for his future and that he’ll make as many memories in Germany as he did in Belgium: “Even though it wasn’t always easy, it changed my life for the better. Especially Belgian’ beer and fries.”
