Civic Studies Learning House
Society at school
All subjects within the 'Society' learning house concern issues about how we live together; in the past, present, and future. These subjects are therefore directly relevant to you.
In the first year of secondary school, you start with geography, history, and global citizenship. In the following years, religious studies, economics, philosophy, and social studies are added. If you choose an EM (Economics and Society) or CM (Culture and Society) profile, you will also be found regularly at 'Leerhuis Maatschappij' (Society Learning House) in the upper years. This learning house is recognisable by its red colour.
Geography
Geography is always about places, whether they are near or far away. But we don't just look at a place; we look for the connections with people and with natural processes. For example, you learn how the climate works, how we stay safe from flooding, how volcanoes form, how cultures differ (or are similar), why people migrate, and how cities are built.
Wherever you look, geography is all around. When you watch the news, many geographical topics come up, but also when you look around you in the city or when you're on holiday. Why is it so sunny and warm in Southern France and why are the mountains so high in Austria? We would like you to become curious about the world around you, so that you understand how things really are and can critically form your opinion. Therefore, we don't just learn in the classroom, but also go outside with excursions. After all, learning about the world is best done when you can really go out and explore it!
Geography is taught in the lower school for all three years. This can be done in Dutch, but also in English. After this period, you can choose geography as an (elective) subject.
Economy
In economics, we view the world around us through an economic lens. During lessons, contemporary phenomena are critically examined and evaluated using economic concepts such as supply and demand, economic cycles, the Keynesian model, labour productivity, consumer goods, and sustainable entrepreneurship. Economics demands a good reading ability, but numeracy is also important. Other skills, such as learning concepts, interpreting functions, and formulating explanations, are also important to pass this subject with a sufficient grade. Ultimately, it's about being able to see connections between economic concepts and theories and your own environment.
Business Economics is a suitable subject for students who are interested in entrepreneurship, arithmetic and figures. The elective subject is taught in the 4th and 5th year of (t)havo and in the 5th and 6th year of (t)vwo. It provides a very good foundation for pursuing further studies in finance, economics or management after your havo or vwo. Financial self-sufficiency is also an important theme.
History
History is not only about the past but also about the world of today. We study the past to better understand the present, so: how did we arrive at today's society? One example of this is the democracy we have in the Netherlands. This system of government is based on a number of examples we have seen earlier in the past, such as that of the ancient Greeks.
For history, we start right at the beginning: the very first humans. In the lower years, we go from earlier to later, finishing in the twentieth century. In the upper years, we repeat the same sequence, but with extra challenge and depth. One time we'll look at the city of Hoorn to examine trade in the early modern period, while VWO students taking history as an exam subject also study the history of China. We naturally use our textbooks, but also other materials to study the past.
If you study history in English because you have opted for bilingual education, language is an important part of the subject. We spend a lot of time writing, reading, and speaking, which will further improve your mastery of the English language.
Philosophy
In philosophy education, pupils learn to relate to themselves, others, and the world around them. Alongside knowledge of the history of philosophical ideas and learning critical thinking skills, the development of one's own, well-considered vision on societal, scientific, and existential issues is central.
At Werenfridus, philosophy is already taught in the second year. If you are on the VWO track, you can choose this subject again in years 4 and/or 5. It is then a subject in the free space and an elective in the Culture and Society profile.
Social and Citizenship Education
At Werenfridus, you'll study Social Studies in year 5 (pre-university vocational secondary education - HAVO) and year 4 (pre-university secondary education - VWO). This subject is about Dutch society, where you'll learn to look at things from different perspectives. Through this subject, you'll gain a better understanding of how Dutch society is structured and how it personally affects you. You'll also learn how to clearly describe and analyse a societal problem.
If you're following (t)HAVO, you'll also take social sciences in years 4/5. This focuses more on the structures and processes of society and how we live together.
Religious Studies
In Religious Studies, you will get answers to the question of what role religion plays in the world and in people's lives. You will learn about different religions, tackle life's big questions, and explore the answers you and others have given to them.
At Werenfridus, Religious Studies is taught in 2 havo, 3 (t)havo and 3 (t)vwo, and in 4 vwo. Within the subject of Religious Studies, you are given the opportunity to search and discover; to form an opinion and to express it to each other.
Global citizenship
At Werenfridus, we believe it's important to introduce you to different cultures and religions in the world. That's why we are a Unesco School. Internationality, tolerance, and solidarity are important goals for schools with the UNESCO school profile. We help you to form your own opinion, but also how best to express it. We aim for our pupils to be globally minded when they leave our school. We work towards this within regular subjects and during projects. Within the timetable, we shape this through the subject ‘global citizenship’ (WB).
On the bilingual department, this subject is called Global Citizenship (GC). During lessons, students speak only English and work on their international portfolio. Projects are undertaken where different subjects explore various aspects of European unification and global orientation. Students are introduced to the foundations of international thinking and practice. This subject is included in the timetable for years 1 and 2 for both HAVO and VWO. Within VWO, the GC objectives for years 3 to 5 are part of the curriculum in subjects and projects. In year 4 t-VWO, the upper secondary programme of Global Citizenship begins, and it is once again included as a subject in the timetable. During GC meetings in years 4 to 6, attention is given to global issues, international internships, and debate techniques, with UNESCO and the UN serving as examples to discuss global problems.
Global citizenship is not just for our bilingual pupils. It is important for all our pupils, and our (global) citizenship coordinator organises excellent exchanges, themed days, and projects. Teachers can follow extra training in Europe via Erasmus+ grants. This way, we bring the world into the school and we venture out into the world with our pupils.