IMPORTANCE OF GRAMMAR SCHOOL DURING THE 360 YERS OF ITS EXISTANCE

Gimnaziju u Varaždinu osnivaju isusovci 1636. godine. Ona je imala zadaću da se i odgojem suprotstavi nadirućem protestantizmu. Za ono vrijeme to je bila moderna škola u kojoj se poučavalo na latinskom jeziku, ali se nije zanemarilo ni materinjski jezik. Nastavnici gimnazije nikada nisu bili samo pedagozi, nego i poznati pisci, znanstvenici i istraživači. Svoj su rad širih i izvan škole. Osnivali su udruženja građana i učenika, osnivali prva đačka kazališta i na druge načine djelovali u svojoj sredini. Najvažniji je, ipak, bio njihov nastavni rad. Učenika je u varaždinskoj gim­naziji uvijek bilo dovoljno. Oni su pretežno pripadali građanskom staležu i nisu se pripremali samo za svećenička zvanja, nego su nalazili posao i u grad­skoj, odnosno državnoj upravi. Mnogi od njih nastavili su studij na europskim sveučilištima. Plemstvo i grad Varaždin pomagali su rad gimnazije i ona nije prestala djelovati ni poslije ukinuća reda 1773. godine. Dapače, postala je temelj srednjoškolskog sustava i bitno je utjecala na razvoj prosvjete i kulture u Varaždinu i u Hrvatskoj. Mnogi nastavnici i učenici varaždinske gimnazije postah su poznati pisci, znanstvenici, politički i javni radnici. Njihovi prijedlozi i ideje znatno su utje­cali na budućnost cjelokupnog školskog sustava u Hrvatskoj.The Grammar School in Varaždin was founded by the Jesuits in 1636 with the aims of fighting against the advancing Protestantism through education. Measured by the standards of the time, it was a modern school, where tuition was in Latin, but the use of the mother tongue was by no means neglected. The teachers of this Grammar School were not only educators; they were always distinguished writers, scientists and research workers as well. They ex­tended their activities outside the school. They were the founders of the pri­vate citizen associations and student\u27 fraterinities, they founded the first student theatre groups and were active in many different ways in the milieu. However, their teaching was the most important thing of all. This school has always enough students. They predominantly came from middle class families and even though they were educated to become prriests, they later also found work in the municipal and state administration. Many of them con­tinued their education at universities all over Europe. The nobles and the City of Varaždin supported the school and it didn\u27t cease to function after the abolition of the order in 1773. On the contrary, it laid the foundations for the secondary school system and it strongly influ­enced the development of education and culture in Varaždin and in Croatia. Many teachers and former students of the Varaždin Grammar School be­came well-known writers, scholars, pohticians and public figures. Their suggestions and ideas had a considerable influence on the development of the entire school system in Croatia