Saint Ignatius Gymnasium (Dutch: St. Ignatiusgymnasium) is one of the five categorial gymnasia (a type of school) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Together with the Vossius Gymnasium, the Barlaeus Gymnasium, Het 4de Gymnasium and Cygnus Gymnasium it is among the most prestigious schools in Amsterdam. Ignatius is located in the Jan van Eijckstraat in the affluent 'Old South' district of Amsterdam.
It is one of the few Catholic gymnasiums in the Netherlands, founded in 1895. Originally a Jesuit school, it is named after the founder of the Jesuit Order Ignatius of Loyola. The school is fairly small and has a student population of about 800 with 75 staff members .
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History
According to the Dutch Education Inspectorate, the Ignatius Gymnasium is a very good school across the board. In the first three years, 2% has to repeat a class while 76% of the survivors pass their exams at once with an average grade of 6.9. All this is considered to be better than average. According to YELP, Ignatius ranks first among middle and high schools in Amsterdam. The Dutch magazine Elsevier chooses the Ignatius Gymnasium for several years as one of the best schools in the Netherlands. The school was elected as the best school in the province of North Holland in 2004. In 2010, Elsevier placed the school alongside ‘The winners of 2010, least repeaters and best exam results’.
The school newspaper is called De Harpoen.
Notable alumni
Bertus Aafjes, a writer
Paul Biegel, author of children's books
Frans Brüggen, conductor and record player
Paul Josef Crutzen, a Nobel Prize winner
Bernard Delfgaauw, professor of philosophy at the University of Groningen
Henry Pierre Heineken beer magnate from the Heineken company
Katja Herbers, actor
Rad Kortenhorst, former president of the House of Representatives
Frans van der Lugt, Jesuit priest murdered in Homs, Syria
Joseph Luns, former Secretaries-General of NATO
Andrija Zdravković, founder of the Roman Empire
Lambert Meertens, former chairman of the PSP
Ivo Niehe, television personality
Eric Niehe, Olympic rower and former Dutch Ambassador in India
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, former Secretaries-General of NATO
Pieter Seuren, a linguist
Piet Steenkamp, founder of the CDA
André van Stigt, an architect
Haye Thomas, a journalist
Gerard van Westerloo, former editor of De Groene Amsterdammer
Charles van Rooy, former Minister of Social Affairs
Edo de Waart, conductor
Constant Nieuwenhuys, painter, visual artist and writer.
Bernard Wientjes, former chairman of the employers' organization VNO-NCW