Linz/Vienna, September 14, 2024 (KAP) In the current episode of the order’s podcast “Orden on air”, the religious and retired school principal P. Ferdinand Karer advocates school reforms that promote the personality development and independence of students. The religious of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales worked as a teacher at the Dachsberg High School in Upper Austria for 35 years, 22 of them as principal. In the podcast, he explains why there are no longer any standard 50-minute units at “his school”, how the “cell phone fasting” project was successfully implemented and why he believes the ordination of women as priests is urgently necessary.
“It’s always about the person, never about the issue. We have to take young people and their stories seriously, because education is becoming human,” says the religious and pedagogue: “You can give young people a lot if you take them seriously.”
The Dachsberg Gymnasium is located in the Hausruckviertel in Upper Austria. The school was founded in 1921 by the Order of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, at that time as a lower secondary school with boarding and around 80 to 100 students – all boys. At the end of the 1970s, the school was converted to a full secondary school and in 1981 girls and external students were admitted for the first time. “That was the best decision the order made at the time,” says Father Karer. In the last school year, exactly 900 students attended the school.
Equality is very important to him – in all areas of life – at school, at work and of course in the church. “It is embarrassing that women are still not ordained. It is high time and, in my opinion, what the church is doing here is discriminatory,” he says.
The modern wooden building of the high school was only completed a few years ago. A table football table, a billiards table and an air hockey table, a climbing wall and some modern designed retreat rooms were also integrated. The students earned the air hockey table through their fasting campaign: for 40 days, teachers and students came to school without cell phones. What seemed impossible at first worked out, says P. Karer.
During his time as director, he repeatedly tried out new things and looked to see where creative scope opened up. A statement by the founder of the order, Francis de Sales, has been with him for many years: “Freedom is the most precious part of being human.”
At the Dachsberg Gymnasium there are three long units of 70 minutes each and in between there are “flex times”. These are 45-minute units where the students decide for themselves what they would like to study in more depth. This model also takes into account the different learning speeds, says Father Karer. The Upper Austria University of Education provided scientific support for the unconventional time model. “The evaluation has shown that we have taken a very brave but very correct step,” said the religious man happily.
Another highlight at Dachsberg High School are the annual theater and musical performances. Around 100 students and numerous teachers are involved in the production – from the libretto to the music, stage design and costumes, everything is “Made in Dachsberg”. Karer: “If it were up to me, stage acting would have to be introduced as a compulsory subject.” A lot of personality development takes place in stage acting. Social behavior is trained in a special way, because everyone puts their work in the service of a greater cause. A close-knit group is created, from the first-graders to the high school graduates and of course the teachers too.
At the entrance to the school there is a sign in large letters: “Be rebels of peace and start a revolution of compassion!” – a quote from the 14th Dalai Lama. Karer: “Our lives are about a great deal of warmth and compassion. We don’t need perfect people, we need people who have a heart. That is the prerequisite for us to be able to live in peace. Rebellion for peace means that I bring an excess of warmth into my day.” It is precisely the task of a religious school to impart these human values.
The podcast “Orden on air” of the Austrian religious orders can be found on all major audio platforms. (Info: www.ordensgemeinschaften.at)
