On Thursday, the Romanian Hungarian Democratic Association (RMDSZ) launched a school enrollment campaign promoting the choice of Hungarian-language education in Romania.

Tivadar Magyari, executive vice-president responsible for education of the association, and education politician Ödön Szabó, vice-president of the education committee of the Romanian House of Representatives, spoke about the campaign "Every Hungarian child matters" at a press conference in Cluj on Thursday.

Tivadar Magyari said: the campaign is trying to appeal to families with 6-7 year old children starting school. He noted: according to their experience, 14-16 percent of families need to be convinced that it is worth enrolling their child in a Hungarian school.

Among the arguments, he mentioned that it is easier to learn in one's mother tongue, that this is the only way to complete language skills by being connected to traditions and culture, and he also noted that learning Hungarian is no longer a disadvantage in Romania. With Hungarian state support, the School Foundation provides free meals and after-school supervision to 2,500 elementary school students. He added: this number is not high compared to the fact that 51,000 elementary school students study in Hungarian in Romania, but it is still very important, because in some places this is what makes Hungarian schools attractive.

Ödön Szabó added: about 8-10 percent of children raised in Hungarian or partially Hungarian families study in Romanian-language schools. For them, the Hungarian-language school is either more difficult to access, or they come from a family with a mixed identity, and the parents did not choose the Hungarian school. According to the politician, school improvements have been made in recent years with funds provided by the EU and the Romanian government, as well as Hungarian aid, after which it can be stated that the conditions in Hungarian-language schools are better than the national average.

He also added that there has been an improvement in the quality of Hungarian education, and they are also trying to dispel the fear of parents that it is not possible to learn the Romanian language well in a Hungarian school. He mentioned that the program, which serves to prepare teachers teaching Romanian in minority schools, was launched last year with EU funds of nine million euros. According to the education politician, the range of Hungarian-language education in Romania is now as wide as that of Romanian.

Magyari Tivadar said: the campaign will be launched on social media, but RMDSZ president Kelemen Hunor has also sent a letter to the Association of Hungarian Teachers in Romania (RMPSZ) and the leaders of the historic Hungarian churches. We would like "the message of Hungarian school choice to flow from the faucet" - he said - during this period, which is important from the point of view of school choice.

Source and image: erdely.ma. The full article can be read here.