Lomborg Gymnastik- og idrætsefterskole

It is about more than sport

TEXT: SIGNE HANSEN | PHOTOS © LOMBORG GYMNASTIK- OG IDRÆTSEFTERSKOLE

At Lomborg Gymnastik- og idrætsefterskole, football, handball and gymnastics are part of the everyday class schedule. But that does not mean that it is all about sport: pupils are also given the skill set to become engaged, social and active citizens.

Located in the small town of Lomborg in west Jutland, Lomborg school is the home of approximately 130 ninth- and tenth-grade sports enthusiasts. Though all are bound together by a keen interest in sport, the levels at which they exercise their chosen sport vary a lot. “We have a strong focus on gymnastics and also at a very high level, but we are going a bit against the current tendency, which is to focus a lot on results. We are a school of the old way and that means that forming our pupils into well-rounded human beings with strong social engagements is just as important as them getting better at their sport,” says principal Flemming Nees.

Lomborg’s pupils can choose between eight main courses − including football and handball − that add on to the regular Danish curriculum, which all pupils have to take. On top of that, everybody has five obligatory weekly gymnastics lessons. For those who choose one of the sports courses, that adds up to a whole lot of exercise. “For sure we have some pupils who are rather surprised, after the first week, at how sore 15 hours of sports can make you,” says Nees. “But we have a strong diet policy and make sure that all our pupils get what they need to maintain the high level of activity.”

On top of the regular schedule, all pupils go on an annual skiing trip as well as a trip to a European capital, all an essential part of their formative journey, according to Nees. “Yes, it’s important to me that our pupils learn something and improve their skills while they’re here, but it’s just as important that they feel engaged in the world they are entering when they leave us – I think that’s something which both they and the world need.”

Main subjects offered at Lomborg: Gymnastics, football, handball, basketball, e-sport, mountain bike, design, and media.


Web: lomborg-efterskole.dk