Bernardinuscollege

Bernardinuscollege main entrance

Bernardinuscollege is a comprehensive school in Heerlen, the Netherlands. The school was founded by Franciscan monks in 1911 as ‘Sint-Bernardinus, R.K. Hoogere Burgerschool met 3-jarige cursus’ (‘Saint Bernardinus, R.C. Higher Citizenschool with 3-year course’), because of the need for education in the wake of the blooming mining industry. In September 1913 the first students arrived.

Sint-Bernardinus was expanded with a midlevel-business school and in 1919 the 3-year HBS (Higher Citizen School) course was changed to a 5-year one. In 1930 the school was further expanded with a Gymnasium.

In 1970 the 'Sint' was dropped from the school name, giving it its current name: Bernardinuscollege.^[1]

Bernardinuscollege is part of SVOPL together with Charlemagne College, Herlecollege, Praktijkonderwijs Parkstad Limburg, and Sintermeertencollege.^[2]

Activities

• Bernardinuscollege was one of the first schools in the Netherlands to let the students use iPads to make learning easier and lessons interactive.^[3]
• In 2013, Bernardinuscollege celebrated its 100 years anniversary. To celebrate, a documentary and book were created, and the school set up an online Hall of Fame, where all the old students can add their portfolio.^[4][5]
• In 2013, Bernardinuscollege launched the Technasium, a more technical oriented study, which adds the subject O&O ('Onderzoek en oriëntatie' - Research and orientation) to the profiles of Atheneum and Gymnasium students.^[6]
• In early 2014, Bernardinuscollege was certified as a Vecon Businessschool, which allows them to get an extra certificate when they finish their Economy exams.

Notable students

• Ad Fransen, journalist and author
• Jan Hanlo (1912–1969), poet and author
• Jo Ritzen (b. 1945), Minister of Education
• Frans Timmermans (b. 1961), State Secretary for European Affairs
• Matthias Hallmann, Political strategist

Gallery

• 

  Bernardiuscollege later added building

• 

  Main entrance

• 

  Bernardinuscollege Kapel

• 

  Bernardinuscollege Kapel

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-05-24. Retrieved 2006-05-30. History of Bernardinuscollege on their website
2. SVO|PL website
3. Photo gallery of iPad announcements
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-12-23. Retrieved 2012-03-21. Anniversary website
5. Bernardijnen.net Hall of Fame website
6. [6] Technasium info

External links

• Main website Bernardinuscollege
• Bernardijnen.net - Community for former students and employees of Bernardinuscollege
• Stichting Voortgezet Onderwijs Parkstad Limburg (SVO|PL)

Coordinates: 50°52′55″N 5°59′05″E / 50.882059°N 5.984655°E