Dear collegues.

Participating again in the opening of another Dalton conference here in Brno is a great pleasure.

Last year I apologized that I still wasn’t able to speak your language. And I am afraid that I have to tell you the same this time.

In a city with so many friends it was not so difficult to find someone who helped me to demonstrate my appreciation for your hospitality with the translation of these words. Big compliments and our gratitude to all the representatives of the City of Brno for their help to the Czech Dalton Association and Dalton International.

Excuse me that I have to continue in English, but perhaps next year….

Network of challenges is the motto of this conference.

It is really a big challenge for all participants of this conference to have the opportunity to meet collegues from so many schools, institutions and nationalities.

We are proud on the attendance of the representatives from Dalton schools in Australia, Russia, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

May I welcome you also on behalf of Dalton International.

You all, present here in this room, are the indication of the big interest of the

Dalton education at one side, and the international exchange of expertise on the other.

The five conferences before this one proved that together we can work on the innovation of the Dalton Plan of Helen Parkhurst.

For Hans Wenke and myself Dalton education is still a lasting inspiration.

May I ask Hans to step forward.

Hans Wenke  presentated the new book of Roel Röhner and Hans Wenke

“Dalton education , a lasting inspiration” , to Dalibor Lasovsky as a start of

the translation into the Czech language.

Dear collegues,

It is already a tradition that we use the international Dalton conference to welcome some Dalton schools and institutions as a member of Dalton International. This year even six.

Our congratulations to the following institutes, and may I ask the representatives to step forward in order to give me the pleasure to offer the official tablet to :

The Dalton school , school 1080 in Moscow

The first Dalton school in Germany , Daltonschule Gerwisch

The Dalton teachers training Institute ,

Saxion Hogeschool IJselland  in the Netherlands

Dalton school de Polderhof, from Oss in the Netherlands

School Advisory Centre, Utrecht in the Netherlands

Stedelijk Daltoncollege, Zutphen in the Netherlands