Ressu Upper Secondary School

Ressu Upper Secondary School, also known internationally as Ressun lukio IB World School, is a secondary school (or gymnasium) located in central Helsinki, Finland. Founded in 1891, Ressu is one of the oldest Finnish speaking schools and considered to be one of the most prestigious schools in Finland. Ressu is one of the most difficult upper secondary schools to gain entry to in Finland, with admission typically requiring grade point averages above 9.3 on the Finnish scale of 4.0 (the lowest) to 10.0 (the highest). Students in Ressu have a reputation of moving onto illustrious careers in further education, in a range of top universities both in Finland and abroad. The current principal is Ari Huovinen. History The school was founded in 1891, at which time it was called Helsingin Suomalainen Realilyseo (the Helsinki Finnish Real Lyceum) and at which point it only taught male students. The teaching concentrated on broadening the previously strict and narrow subject areas, that were held mostly in Latin, to also include other languages as well as a selection of sciences. Gradually, the school's name changed. In 1914, it became "Helsingin Suomalainen Lyseo", and, in 1950, due to pressure from the school's Swedish-speaking minority, it was changed to simply "Helsingin Lyseo". When governorship of the school transferred from the Republic of Finland to the city of Helsinki in 1977, the school was told to choose a name based on its geographic location. However, due to large-scale student campaigning, the school was officially named after its long-standing nickname: Ressun lukio. Campus The campus of Ressu Upper Secondary School consists of a single building in central Helsinki. It is situated on Lönnrotinkatu, across the road from the Old Church of Helsinki. The building is divided into four floors, with the lowest floor lacking dedicated classrooms and instead hosting other facilities for students, such as the school's cafeteria "Papa Huovinen's" (facetiously named after the school's principal), the school's library, two computer rooms, and the offices of the school's doctors.