Katarinaskolan (St. Catherine's School) was founded in 1994 in central Uppsala, the historic university town north of Stockholm, by two teachers who had previously worked together within the Swedish state school system: Ann-Charlotte (Lotta) Misgeld, a Roman-Catholic whose husband originates from Germany, and Stephen Coombs, an Orthodox Englishman (member of a Russian Orthodox parish in the Moscow Patriarchate, and a Swedish resident for over thirty years). Lotta Misgeld is the school's principal and Stephen Coombs its director of studies.
The school is in the hands of a trust whose board is composed of Roman-Catholics and Orthodox (including one priest from either church). The trust has however no official links with any Roman-Catholic or Orthodox institution, diocese or parish. Most of Katarinaskolan's pupils have no particular connection with Orthodoxy or Roman-Catholicism.
This school year, 2006-7, we have roughly 260pupils aged between 13 and 16. It is hoped in time to extend the school upward, taking pupils up to the age of 17 and 19. There are roughly equal numbers of boys and girls.
In Swedish Katarinaskolan describes itself as humanistisk-kristen. In English this expression needs to be paraphrased rather than translated: fundamentally it means that the school's inspiration is Christian and that its academic ambitions lie especially in the direction of the liberal arts (inter alia history and languages). The school's curriculum states in its introduction that humanistisk-kristen indicates "a view of humanity which combines religious and secular aspects, emphasising the value of the human being and esteeming highly that culture which is humanity's heritage and responsibility. In Christian terms God first created man as His own image and then took human form in Jesus Christ in order to reconcile and unite creation with Himself. Irrespective of whether this is regarded as truth or allegory, it is difficult or quite simply impossible to conceive of a more sublime description of the dignity of the human being." The connection with Roman-Catholicism and Orthodoxy broadens significantly the perspective in which many topics - religious, historical, ethical etc. - are treated.
Katarinaskolan's source of inspiration is shown in ways which distinguish it from other Swedish schools. Every Monday morning pupils meet for an assembly which always, if to a varying degree, has some Christian content. There is a quiet room, the "St. Catherine's Room", with five fine, especially funded and commissioned icons on its walls; all who wish can enter at any time to pray or simply to enjoy a moment's peace. Italian and Russian are studied besides French, German and Spanish as languages in addition to English, and there is also a subject called Classical Language Tradition, intended to give pupils some acquaintance with the nature of the classical languages, principally Latin, and a sense of their rôle in the formation of the European and Christian cultural heritage".
"In a short time Katarinaskolan has acquired an excellent reputation".
Classical Language Tradition, intended to give pupils some acquaintance with the nature of the classical languages, principally Latin, and a sense of their rôle in the formation of the European and Christian cultural heritage". Besides his or her form teacher every pupil has a "mentor" who takes an individual interest in the pupil's school life.
In a short time Katarinaskolan has acquired an excellent reputation; for several years ahead the lists of pupils applying for enrolment far exceed the number of places which can become available. The results of national tests in which our pupils participate and the final grades they obtain on the basis of national criteria show that a high academic standard is reached. Independent statistical analysis has shown moreover that levels of attainment are exceed those that would be expected simply on the basis of the pupils' home backgrounds by a greater margin than other schools in the area, whether state schools or private.
There has always been a considerable amount of collaboration between disciplines. Art and theatre are frequently involved in the presentation of work in "humane studies" (e.g. history, religion, social science) and there have been several successful large-scale projects ignoring boundaries between subjects and age-groups. The choral and instrumental music presented at end-of term celebrations has often been of a notable standard.
Each class in Katarinaskolan is denoted by a single letter (without a number referring to its current year-group), and also by a Latin animal or bird name beginning with this letter. These names are in turn interpreted heraldically and in other ways as emblems of the various classes.
©2006-08-17 Katarinaskolan®™