OBS Nelson Mandela

multicultural primary school, welcoming for both kids and their parents

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The Nelson Mandela school is in the middle of the Afrikaanderwijk neighborhood in Rotterdam-Zuid. The wonderful Human documentary Klassen, which recently received much appreciation and acclaim, could also have been filmed perfectly well in this neighborhood. In the Nelson Mandela school, education has been diligently provided for years to children from different cultural backgrounds. A key element in the school's approach is to maximize parental involvement in their children's education. A special area in the school has been created for parents, where people can meet, talk about the children and parenting and also, for example, courses are given. In this way, on the one hand, the gap that often exists between life at school and life at home is closed and, on the other hand, new networks are created with which parents also get ahead.

 

From 2023 a new building for the Nelson Mandela School is planned, the design gives shape to the ambition of the school to form a community where social cohesion and opportunity equality is promoted through greater parental involvement. Therefore, a transparent and inviting building with a prominent entrance on the street. The parents' room is next to the entrance so that the parents outside can see that there are parents inside as well, to keep the threshold to enter as low as possible.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Because the school would like to be visible as an important place in the neighborhood, the building has been given a striking silhouette. Making a high wall perpendicular to the street creates space for a large mural that can be seen from afar. It should become a work of art that in addition to being a landmark also embellishes the neighborhood, in keeping with the tradition of murals in the Dutch streetscape.