In addition to the nine so far, four new higher education institutions have joined the Teach for Hungary program, which aims to mentor disadvantaged children; the relevant cooperation agreements were signed on Thursday, July 8, in Budapest, at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (ITM).
László György , ITM's state secretary responsible for economic strategy and regulation, said that there is every chance that the Teach Hungary program will be expanded to a national scale from September. This means that every second cumulatively disadvantaged elementary school child will be able to be helped by a mentor , he said.
The state secretary said that in the spring, the program mobilized thousands of participants: more than 500 mentors and more than 2,300 mentees participated in the program, and 1,500 learned to be mentors.
László György spoke about the fact that 54 percent of elementary school students living in small rural settlements only get their education here, and do not get a higher education.
State Secretary László György/Source: ITM
According to the state secretary, this is primarily because these children live in one community until the age of 14, travel little and see little of the world, so they experience changing schools as an ordeal. The mentors are with the students from the age of seven to show them the world around their town, the opportunities for further education, work and recreation, he said.
László György emphasized that they want the elementary school students participating in the program to obtain a high school diploma, a profession or a diploma.
The program has now been joined by Apor Vilmos Catholic University, Károli Gáspár Reformed University, Pannon University and Pázmány Péter Catholic University.
Source and full article: magyarkurir.hu/MTI
Featured image: magyarkurir.hu
