Role of education in preparing a new generation of young people

In the ever-changing, contemporary world, education has a fundamental role to play in preparing a new generation of young people to meaningfully shape our future and lead our societies to address global challenges and needs. Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, Adaptability, Leadership, Multitasking and Teamwork are repeatedly cited by the leading educational and job market experts as the most sought-after qualities in today’s world. Akademeia High School is a selective private school in Warsaw, benefitting from modern boarding facilities, and it is these core transferrable skills we develop in our students through the internationally recognized GCSE and A Levels combined with our own extracurricular programmes.

Students can join us for a four-year or two-year programme (equivalent to grades 3-4 in Polish high schools). Academic excellence is at the heart of the school and our students have achieved ever higher grades from year to year since our inception, with 85% A-A* grades awarded in 2020 across all A Level subjects. To put this into context, the finest universities around the world, including Oxbridge and the Ivy League, require A*A*A – A*AA grades. But education is much more than just grades. It is about enjoying the experience of learning and improving oneself. What we strive to instill in our students is a desire to always go further, and a belief that there is no limit to what they can achieve if they work hard and approach their studies in the right way. Key to this is a passion for the subject matter and, here, we build from two fundamental factors: first, our outstanding faculty – teachers who are truly knowledgeable in their fields and whose enthusiasm for their subject is contagious. Second, the very nature of the A Level curriculum we offer affords students the freedom to focus only on the subjects they are most passionate about in the last two years of high school. It is no secret that one is always better at something if they really enjoy it, and it is this fact that we capitalize on.

Resilience, autonomy and confidence are character traits that develop over time in the right environment and with the right support. One cannot simply acquire these qualities in isolation, but they are developed through experience and belief in one’s own abilities; the ability to acquire and critically process new knowledge, the ability to know and work with one’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the courage to take on new challenges and opportunities. This is what Akademeia High School’s teachers, mentors and dedicated wellbeing team work on with our students. We strongly believe in the power of self-reflection: only through self-knowledge can students truly grow as learners and people.

We live in uncertain and difficult times and the pandemic has limited our ability to travel. It has not, however, undermined the importance of an international, global outlook, or cooperation. For this reason, international education is still crucial for future success. Our students have gained places at some of the top institutions around the world, including NYU, Columbia, Duke and liberal arts colleges in the US, Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, LSE, Imperial College and many others in the UK, and Bocconi, Esade, UvA, Eindhoven and Rotterdam in continental Europe. We continuously expand our university preparation programme, always informed by the guiding principle that students need to enjoy and truly learn from the process.

Another key to success is learning through experience. We provide our students with an array of opportunities while also ensuring they are equipped with the transferable skills to really benefit from these. Whether it is becoming better public speakers, managing a project, or networking, being able to work with others and knowing what one truly wants comes from experiencing different contexts. We therefore support our students with internships and research projects in private companies and public institutes though our Personal Development Scheme. In the final two years of school, students pursue their interests outside the classroom through a number of extracurricular projects and work experience placements uniquely tailored to them. By doing this, we ensure students see the value in what they do and take ownership of their own development.

Excellent grades and superb university placements are two indicators of our students’ successes. Yet, what we most rejoice in is when a student at the end of their time with us tells us that they have really grown as a person and are proud of who they have become.

The future of education lies in the individual’s power to realize their own potential, and we believe our school provides the ideal environment for this process.