The Hungarian government is doing everything to ensure that the mother-tongue education system, from kindergarten to higher education, operates in Transcarpathia, stated Péter Szilágyi, the Deputy Secretary of State for National Policy at the Prime Minister's Office, at the opening ceremony of the Hungarian schools in Transcarpathia.
This year, the traditional opening ceremony of Hungarian schools in Transcarpathia was hosted by the Reformed Church of Kisgejőc, located near Ungvár. Péter Szilágyi called the opening of the Hungarian school year a cautious, small step towards the usual, peaceful weekdays.
Under the leadership of the Subcarpathian Hungarian Teachers' Association (KMPSZ), Hungarian school teachers have set themselves the goal of creating stability in children's everyday lives, he said. This was achieved with joint efforts, so attendance education could start in all the schools of the region despite the war, the deputy state secretary pointed out, emphasizing the role played by the president of the teachers' union, Ildiko Orosz.
The Hungarian government continues to directly support kindergarten and school children receiving Hungarian education in their homeland. Péter Szilágyi stated that "thanks to continuous methodological and infrastructural developments, we have now reached the point where Hungarian education abroad has become competitive with mainstream education".
In his words, it is important that "even in these difficult times, Transcarpathia should be an island of peace for all those who, putting cultural or linguistic differences aside, have been able to live here peacefully and help each other for generations."
Péter Szilágyi thanked the staff of the KMPSZ, historical churches, charitable organizations, and Hungarian institutions for the extraordinary help they provided to people in trouble.
"We believe that peace is in everyone's common interest," said the deputy state secretary.
Ildikó Orosz, the president of KMPSZ, highlighted the role of teachers in the care of war refugees, also ensuring online education in educational institutions. Thanking Hungary for the charitable support, he reminded that the refugees from Eastern Ukraine were housed in educational institutions that were renovated with Hungarian state support and provided adequate conditions.
Among the successful initiatives, the president of the KMPSZ mentioned the Unlimited summer school program, in which junior high school students from 64 Hungarian-language schools could participate in a summer day camp, where they could learn together and play in preparation for this school year. In addition, with the support of the Hungarian state, 800 children were able to vacation in the Erzsébet camps.
Ildikó Orosz called on teachers to make maximum use of the period until the autumn frosts set in. "Let's accept the situation calmly and preserve Transcarpathia as an island of peace," he said.
Source: hirado.hu
Image: külhonmagyarok.hu
