CPES Le Gymnase

The “Pôle Educatif Protestant de Strasbourg” is a private educational institution combining the schools Lucie Berger (founded in 1871) and Jean Sturm (founded in 1538) under the name “Le Gymnase”.

As formulated in the school’s contract with the French Ministry of Education, the aim of the school is to teach, educate and to take part in the upbringing of the children and young people it is entrusted with.

The charter of “Le Gymnase” forms the foundation of our pedagogical approach. It explains and affirms the values and principles of our teaching, which largely stem from a humanist tradition dating back to the Protestant Reformation and being passed on over the centuries.

Implementing the charter requires the support of the entire educational community including students and parents; it is the result of a moral contract – a mutual commitment by all.

The values are based on three foundations:

– confidence in the ethical value of culture;

– the recognition of all men and women as equally dignified members of the same community;

– the exemplary behavior of teachers and their commitment to form an educational community.

The connection to Christianity, especially in its Protestant manifestation, while abstaining from dogmatism or proselytizing, and respecting a plurality of beliefs and commitments:

– affirming the message of trust in the individual, respect for personal development and freedom of conscience;

– an open approach to and critical examination of religious, philosophical, artistic or scientific traditions;

– commitment to the common good, to peace, to the well-being of the school community and society, to the development of solidarity, to the pursuit for justice, to the preservation of creation, to the transmission of knowledge, to the demand for constant evaluation and reform.

The values of the Republic:

– Learning the rules of democracy;

– Wanting to build a better society.

What makes us special:
“Le Gymnase” serves 2300 pupils and accommodates all classes from the first year of kindergarten to the last year of secondary school (Terminale).
150 teachers work at “Le Gymnase”.
The school offers a complete bilingual program (German French) from the first to the twelfth grade. In their final year, students prepare for the language diploma issued by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs at the level C1. Around 20 pupils pass this certification every year.
Mathematics, history-geography and music are taught in German from year 6 to year 9. In elementary school, all subjects are taught by specially trained teachers in both languages.
In addition to the French-speaking pupils and students with other mother tongues, the bilingual branch has a high proportion of native speakers in all its classes. The resulting heterogeneity is perceived as an enrichment, while also placing high demands on the teaching staff.
“Le Gymnase” is also part of the worldwide community of IB World Schools (4500 schools in 147 countries) that offers the “International Baccalaureate”: http://www.ibo.org/fr. The language of instruction in this branch is mainly English.
“Le Gymnase” receives a high proportion of children who speak different mother tongues. As a result, multilingualism is encouraged and supported.