History of the grammar school
Our school has a very long and rich history, which reflects not only the development of the town of Ostrov but also political and historical events of our country.
Old history of our school – the Piarist Grammar School
The first period of our school lasted for 104 years. On May 6, 1666 Anne Magdalene Popelia of Lobkowitz (widow of the Duke Julius Henry of Saxen-Lauenburg) granted financial resources to build a monastery building, home of 12 friars of the Piarist Order with the plan to establish a latin school. The teaching started in 1673 in a six-class grammar school. Due to the secondary schools reformation, Ostrov grammar school was dissolved and replaced by a four year main school led by the Piarists. The second period begins in 1803. Thanks to the effort of the town, the Piarists and the Archbishop, the grammar school was reestablished but only with five classes. In 1850 the building was taken over by the Army hospital and a year later, the grammar school was dissolved again. The next reestablishment of the Piarist grammar school was with the state support in 1863. However, this period soon ended in 1876. The Piarist grammar school lasted with breaks for 165 years.
Post-war development of the grammar school
The town growth after the 2nd World War (caused by the development of uranium ore mining) meant the need to build new schools. In those days the town of Ostrov prided itself with the lowest average population age in the whole republic. A new law on unified school from 1953 joined general, town schools and grammar schools into one whole – 11-year secondary school. An 11-year secondary school in Ostrov was opened on September 1, 1953 in the building of today’s Practical school. Karel Már was appointed as the first headmaster and the first graduates left this school in 1955. Since the number of classes was increasing the school had to move several times. Finally, it found its permanent seat in the new grounds in Studentská Street in 1967. In the course of years the school has chaged its name several times and since 1968 the school has again borne the historical name “Gymnázium“. The school has had its seat inStudentská Street up to now.
Changes after 1989
Thanks to the progressive approach of the former headmaster Mgr. J. Šafránek, the first year of the then only seven-year long grammar school was opened as early as in 1990. 96 pupils from year 5 of basic schools entered Prima classes. In 1996 the seven-year line of study changed into eight years, which now runs simultaneously with the traditional four-year study. The exterior appearance of both buildings underwent a radical change. Extensive building operations began in 1995. Both of the buildings were given new hip roofs, grey paint was replaced by pastel colours, the central boiler room was replaced by modern ecological gas boiler rooms. Nowadays extensive classroom adaptations are under way – newly furnished classrooms not only with new chairs or other furniture are emerging, but most importantly, they are equipped by modern computing and projection technology enabling new and modern teaching methods. The whole school grounds are thus gaining new modernized and mainly becoming look not only from the outside but also on the inside.
© 2005 - 2008 Gymnázium Ostrov