THE HISTORY OF LEON ŠTUKELJ SCHOOL
At the time when new residential neighbourhoods were being built on the southern outskirts of Maribor, our school opened its doors.
The opening took place on Pioneers’ Day, September 29th 1983.
We also started thinking about a new name for the school, as there was confusion between Tabor I and Tabor II, both locally and nationally. The aspiration to name our school after an important personality was soon met. Mrs Lidija Pauko, Leon Štukelj’s daughter, agreed to name the school after her father, a three-time Olympian with 6 medals won. On February 23rd 2009, the Maribor City Council issued a Decree on the establishment of the Leon Štukelj Maribor Public Educational Institution. Thus, the school year 2009/10 started with a new name.
The memory of Leon Štukelj lives on. Every year, on his birthday, we organise an event to welcome the first-graders into the school community with a cultural programme and lay flowers on his grave.
We are still the youngest school in Maribor, but we are approaching our 40th anniversary. The building has not been spared by the ravages of time, so we were particularly excited about the energy renovation. In the spring of 2019, construction work began (renovation of the façade and joinery) and the renovation was completed for the 2019/20 school year. The building now looks nicer and more modern, and the climatic conditions are better.
Our traditional theatre event From Stage to Stage, which transcends national boundaries, our membership of the International UNESCO Association of Schools, our Cultural School, Symbiosis School, Healthy School titles and our many projects all speak to the richness of the themes and values we live by. The oldest pupils look after and support the youngest ones, who have barely crossed the school threshold. With the diligent guidance of their teachers, pupils achieve success in competitions in knowledge, sport, and research. The many green spaces offer many opportunities for recreation and outdoor learning.
Here are some thoughts written by one of our pupils:
“I like coming to this school because the pupils and classmates are great. The best thing for me is that we have special school days, e.g, Language Day, Štukljada, Theatre Day etc. But what I like most is the Štukelj Talent competition, where we can prove ourselves again every year. Even though I don’t like some subjects, the teachers do their best to explain the material again. I also like that our school has a lot of space. We have sports fields, playgrounds for younger children, a school garden, and a rock garden.”
Source: The School Chronicle
A significant move forward was accomplished in the academic year 2023/24 with the founding of international departments in our school. The establishment of international programme has enabled our school to provide a global perspective on education.
