Last week, students of PKG European School Zagreb traded the classroom for Slavonia.
Đakovo, Vučedol, Vukovar, Kopački rit, Osijek, Ilok, Pleternica, and Požega became places where they not only toured but also learned, explored, connected, and conversed. This is the essence of on-the-road learning at PKG. Books remain important, but knowledge becomes deeper when a student stands before the cathedral in Đakovo, observes traces of Vučedol culture, understands the silence of Vukovar, sails through Kopački rit, or discovers in the Bećarac Museum how cultural heritage can be experienced in a contemporary and vibrant way.
At PKG European School Zagreb, on-the-road learning is not just an ordinary school trip. It is a part of school life and an important form of learning outside the classroom. Through these journeys, students connect history, geography, nature, culture, art, and society. They work on assignments, ask questions, listen to expert guides, observe the real world, and learn what cannot always be fully explained solely by a blackboard.
However, on-the-road learning is not just an academic experience.
It is also about communal living during the journey. Students get to know each other better, learn to cooperate, care for one another, respect agreements, behave in new situations, and navigate outside the familiar school environment. This is precisely why such journeys hold special value. They connect knowledge, character, community, and real-life situations.
Of course, as with any true journey, not everything was perfect. There was laughter, mischief, unexpected moments, and one small museum episode where an exhibit had a closer encounter with student energy than planned. Fortunately, our teachers handled such situations calmly, responsibly, and pedagogically.
And perhaps therein lies one of the most important lessons.
On-the-road learning is not just about learning about Slavonia. It is also about learning responsibility, respect for the space we are in, our relationship with cultural heritage, group behavior, and the awareness that every journey brings both freedom and responsibility.
Slavonia showed our students its breadth, warmth, and strength. From the horses in Đakovo, the Danube near Vučedol and Vukovar, the waters and birds of Kopački rit, Osijek’s Tvrđa and the Drava River, the views and cellars of Ilok, to the bećarac in Pleternica and Požega’s cultural heritage, each day brought a new topic, a new image, and a new opportunity for learning.
The students returned with new knowledge, new memories, and even more of that true school spirit for which PKG is remembered.
Because we learn best when we travel, explore, and connect what we see with what we know.
You can read more about the concept on the page: PKG On-the-Road Learning
