oho #4 - The magazine of the Principality of Liechtenstein

State/Princely House
In this oho interview, HSH Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein talks
about the importance of education in Liechtenstein and recalls his own
schooldays. For the future of education he believes it is particularly important
to make Liechtenstein’s education system more attractive for
teachers and to ensure it keeps up with the rapid pace of technological
development.
Text: Joël Grandchamp · Photos: Roland Korner
Your Highness, every schoolchild has their favourite
subjects as well as subjects they’d prefer to see
banned from the curriculum during their time at
school. What were yours and why?
HSH Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein:
My favourite subjects were history and sport. I suppose
my interest in History as a subject was due to
my own particular family history. I'd enjoyed sports
already before I went to school. Music lessons were
a bit of a drag, mainly because I’m not very gifted
in this regard.
What are the biggest changes which have taken
place between the education system as you knew
it from your own school days and the one today –
which you probably know, for example, from listening
to your children?
The biggest change I noticed came as a result of
computerisation and, in part, the much greater emphasis
placed on the English language. Another major
change is the individualisation of school lessons,
which is probably also due to the fact that students
have become more mixed and diverse in general.
What do you think about this form of individualisation?
Is it positive or negative?
I think that provided the necessary discipline is
ensured, increased individualisation in teaching is
definitely a positive development, because the way a
child learns best can be different from one child to
the other. Today, we definitely know more about this
than ever, and this new knowledge is also applied in
the classroom.
You began your education in Liechtenstein. What do
you still remember about your experiences at the time
and what insights did you gain from your own education
which help you to carry out your role today?
I have good memories of my school days in Liechtenstein.
I am grateful today that we were able to enjoy a very broad
education in grammar school. Given that I deal with a wide
variety of issues in my role, a good all-round education and
general knowledge are very useful for my work. Useful
was also to learn how to deal with many subjects and be
disciplined in your approach to work.
No course of study exists to prepare you for your tasks
as a future head of state. How have you been preparing
yourself for this role?
On the one hand, by choosing law I embarked on a course
of studies which have definitely helped me in my current
duties. On the other, I spoke, especially with my father,
and sometimes even with my grandfather, time and again
about their work and did my best to learn from their example.
In addition, my father frequently took me along
to meetings and official events. I learned a lot from that.
Would you have preferred to study something else in
other circumstances?
Although I’ve always had an interest in history, I think
I would probably still have opted for a degree in law or
business studies.
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