Does the boarding school setting provide a genuine educational advantage? Father Dr. Andri Tuor OSB of the Benedictine Monastery of Engelberg examined this very question as part of his doctoral research. Formerly Head of Stiftsschule Engelberg until August 2023, Father Andri shares his insights and findings in an illuminating interview.
What benefits does a boarding school offer in terms of academic achievement?
Father Andri: Beyond the classroom, boarders flourish in a structured educational setting alongside their peer group – an experience that is both socially appealing and beneficial for learning. Boarding life offers a well-balanced rhythm of study, recreation, enjoyment, reflection, and focus.
What is the advantage in relation to growing up?
Something profoundly important: the journey of becoming oneself. A shared and structured living environment – experienced for a formative period – allows adolescents to grow through meaningful interactions with their peers and adult mentors. They are afforded the rare and invaluable opportunity to realize that they are permitted to become who they truly are, embracing not only their talents but also their vulnerabilities, imperfections, and idiosyncrasies.
What does the Benedictine tradition contribute?
It imparts a profound awareness that we are but guests upon this Earth – and that life, in all its richness, is an invaluable gift to be cherished. Historically, the very notion of a boarding school finds its origins in the monastic tradition of our cultural heritage: a life lived in balance, shaped by community, and guided by a purposeful and rhythmical daily routine.
What is the greatest challenge for young people in a boarding school?
Unlike day students, boarders cannot retreat into a separate role at home once the school day ends. They remain, in essence, confined to a single role, which can at times be demanding and mentally taxing.
What is the consequence?
Although one cannot simply shed a role overnight, over time, young people learn to become more authentic. This gradual emergence of self is a vital and formative part of their personal development.
What is the greatest blessing for young people in a boarding school?
The rare privilege growing up with additional guiding figures beyond one’s own family. While boarding, young people live among peers and adults who serve as trusted mentors and role models. Together, they share life and engage in the search for meaning. These lived experiences nurture emotional intelligence and social maturity. Especially in a world increasingly shaped by the virtual, this shared and tangible reality is both grounding and invaluable.
Do adolescents risk becoming estranged from their families?
On the contrary – the opposite is often the case. Time spent at home, particularly on weekends, tends to be more relaxed and intentional, offering a cherished space in which to reconnect and share the experiences and insights gained during the week apart.
Aren’t parents who send their children to boarding school being neglectful?
This is a concern some parents express. Yet I always reassure them: choosing a boarding school such as Stiftsschule Engelberg is, in truth, an act of care and foresight – one that serves both their child and themselves. Independence cannot flourish if parents are unable to gradually let go. The comforts of ‘Hotel Mama’ offer little guidance once adolescence begins to unfold.
Boarding schools: Are they exclusively for the wealthy?
In a high-cost country such as Switzerland, boarding education does entail significant expense and is often beyond the means of many middle-income families. However, this does not render it the preserve of the wealthy. Thanks to the generous support of charitable trusts, scholarships are available – ensuring that talented and motivated young people may earn a place at Stiftsschule Engelberg, regardless of financial background. I firmly believe that public support for such endeavours is both warranted and wise, for few educational settings are better equipped to foster the potential of gifted young people – especially those from less advantaged circumstances.
Thank you, Father Andri, for sharing your insights.
It was my pleasure.
Should you have any inquiries – whether concerning admission or arranging a visit to experience our academic and boarding life first-hand, please do not hesitate to give us a call. Alexandra Bissig, School Management Assistant and Head of Student Administration, will be most pleased to assist you.
Direct: +41 41 639 61 00
Email: alexandra.bissig@stiftsschule-engelberg.ch
Father Andri Tuor OSB, PhD, Project Leader
A former Head of Boarding, Father Andri brings first-hand insight into residential life. As project leader, he has played a key role in reshaping the direction of Stiftsschule Engelberg. He also served on the board of the largest boarding school association in the German-speaking world. His doctoral thesis, ‘Selbst-Werdung’ lernen in Gruppe und Institution. Hermeneutische Grundelemente einer subjektorientierten und theologisch sensiblen Internatspädagogik , was published in 2021 and named best doctoral thesis in Theology by the University of Lucerne in 2020.