Innovative Schools

Hungary

Prepared by Petra Földes

 

1. Introduction

The Hungarian educational system has undergone fundamental structural changes in the past decade. Its main direction has been decentralization, which has been undertaken parallel to the society's democratic transition. The deconstruction of the centralized educational management system started in the early 1980's. The aim of the process has been to create a flexible school system that is capable of reacting to the more and more differentiated social needs. This strengthened local autonomy and increased the importance of local initiatives (innovations). One of the most important consequences of the decentralization is that due to the strengthening of market mechanisms a real competition has started between the schools. The decentralization has been influenced by social and political changes - first of all, the transition of 1989 - and the fact that the complex system may only be reformed in a gradual manner that takes the existing interests and conflicts into consideration. Thus, the fundamentally successful decentralization process of the past year has raised different problems, as well.

Decentralization has created the legal and conceptual framework of the freedom and independence of schools and enhanced the development of numerous local innovations, however, it has led to a fragmented and sometimes incomprehensible system with significant quality differences between schools. The competition of schools has been fully supported since the late 1980's: the development of independent programs has become possible, a textbook market started to function, most development resources have been distributed in a competitive system, and the schools have been operating on the basis of their own pedagogical program since 1998. Thus, principals and teachers are able to shape what they have to offer in order to attract the best students and to promote free choice. It is a widely held opinion in Hungary that schools are responsible for their own achievements. At the same time the central administration has been striving to guarantee the coherence and quality of the education system by several direct and indirect means - regulative curricula (the National Core Curriculum and the so called Framework Curricula), a system of examinations, an accreditation system, etc. ؘ during the past few years. It has been struggling with the contradictions of centralization-decentralization trying to provide the schools with independence but at the same times also to preserve the unity and coherence of the school system with respect to both the legal and the content-related regulation.

2. The presented cases

All the innovations presented by this paper are programs that have been running for years and have been developing in constant interaction with the social environment and the framework of educational policy. Therefore, these programs enable the reader to comprehend the relationship of the local society, innovation and school management.

2.1. Case of curricular management innovation

In response to the changing social needs, a new school structure and educational program was created in the Illyés Gyula High School (Illyés Gyula Gimnázium), which was followed by the development of a compatible multi-level management structure and (long before the central initiatives) a quality assurance program.

2.2. Case of educational use of ICT

In the Neumann János Basic School (Neumann János Általános Iskola) of Erdokertes, the teaching of geographic informatics serves as the basis of ICT-type innovations. At present the school is participating in two international research projects and the development of a regional geographic information center. It also functions as the information center of the small settlement.

2.3. Case of new features of the relationship between the school and its environment

This area reflects the impact of the different social challenges to the greatest extent, so we present two schools here.

The Basic School of the Vitéz János Roman Catholic Teacher Training College (Vitéz János Római Katolikus Tanítóképzo Foiskola Gyakorló Iskolája) of Esztergom is a model school of environmental education. It maintains an active relationship with the agents of the social environment and offers an environmental education program devised for children. As a leading participant of a national working group of environmental education, the school is also an active propagator of the innovation.

The Technical School of Craftsmanship of the Chance Foundation of Career-starting Youth (Pályakezdo Fiatalok Esély Alapítványa Kézmuves Szakiskolája) is educating socially disadvantaged students in the outskirts of Budapest. The description of the innovation discloses the process of the creation of a supply-system as well as the difficulties and the possibilities of its integration into the system of education.

3. The Schools

3.1. Budaörs High School

Basic information

Exact name of the institution:	ILLYÉS GYULA GIMNÁZIUM ÉS KÖZGAZDASÁGI SZAKKÖZÉPISKOLA
Address:	2040 Budaörs, Szabadság út 162.
Phone/fax:
Principal's name:	Béla Tóth
E-mail address:	tothbela@illyes-bors.sulinet.hu

Objectives

The school started to devise its own educational program as early as 1989 (the period of the development of the local programs is 1997-98!). On the basis of the program and taking the multiple needs of society, parents and students into account a complex educational structure was developed (six-grade high school, five-grade special high school, for-grade vocational program and training) together with a multi-level management structure. The educational program that was adopted by the school in 1997 contains a detailed quality assurance plan that is regarded as a key element of realization. (At the governmental level no serious attention was paid to the issue of educational quality assurance until much later - 1999. The first phase of realization is the Comenius 2000 program - which granted support to the school). All in all, the school represents a new structural model (with respect to both the school and the management) and a professional strategy of realization (quality assurance).

Background

The innovation was launched by the principals and was supported by the teachers. It was motivated by the discrepancy between the professional ambitions and qualities of the teachers on the one hand and the mediocre achievements on the other. The well-equipped new school building and the increasing social need (and demand on the part of the students) provided environmental challenge.

In 1991 two five-grade, special language classes, in 1992 a foreign trade administration class and in 1994 a six-grade high school class were launched by the school in which four-grade high school and vocational classes operated originally. Beyond the basic education special high-level courses (foreign languages and mathematics) and a wide range of optional subjects and study circles (arts, social sciences, computer programming, etc.) are available for the students. The reform and the internal innovation was tacitly supported by the local self-government. The innovation is financed from internal sources and the financial support of the self-government.

Description of the Innovation

School Structure

460-470 students study in 17 study groups in the institution. The number of appointed teachers is 45.
Programs within the basic education continued up to tenth grade:

• six-grade high school education, 7th-10th grade
• special language education, one preparatory year + 9th-10th grade
• basic high school education, 9-10th grade

After the 10th grade the students choose between majoring in liberal arts, sciences or economics. There is a professional education program in the 13th-14th grade.

Management Structure

The leaders of the school devised a multi-level management structure in order to be able to effectively operate the complex structure. The task-oriented management structure - based on a detailed job description - required the devolution of some of the management tasks to the teaching staff. Consequently so called line-managers (a position that had not existed in the Hungarian education system) were appointed. The principal and his deputy defined five scopes of activity for the line-managers. The line managers are responsible for the organization of the activities of the individual grades, the professional supervision of the different fields of knowledge, the evaluation of subject-supervisors and finally for the fulfilling of certain management tasks. They are obliged to report to the principal and the deputy principal. The line-managers receive bonuses and teach less classes.

The subject- and activity-supervisors may be selected by way of application, election or appointment. The subject-supervisors are responsible for the professional coordinating and counseling tasks related to the various subjects taught in the school. They are to report to the line-managers. They evaluate the work of the individual teachers. The activity supervisors are in charge of organizing the extracurricular activities. They report to the principal and the deputy principal. The subject- and activity-supervisors receive bonuses and teach less classes. The above described appointments are revised and extended by the management of the school.

Evaluation, Quality Assurance

The system of evaluation is defined at a strategic and a functional level. The strategic level is the evaluation of the educational program, while functional evaluation is divided into three further levels:

• the comprehensive, school-level evaluation of educational-pedagogical work;
• the evaluation and appraisal of teachers;
• the evaluation of students.

Evaluation of the Educational Program

The management commissions 3-6 members of the teaching staff at the beginning of every school year to scrutinize a comprehensive segment of the educational program. At the first meeting of the school year the staff determines those actual criteria and sets those objectives that need to be fulfilled so that the given segment of the program may be regarded as realized. At the end of the school year this team of 3-6 may put forward suggestions concerning the amendment of the educational program.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Educational-Pedagogical Work

The evaluation is performed by the principal twice a year (midterm and end of the year). Every five years the principal is required to prepare a report about the given period. The document is based on the evaluations of line-managers, subject- and activity-supervisors, heads of classes and the teacher in charge of the student self-government's work. This evaluation concerns three larger areas:

• the educational-pedagogical level achieved by the students, i.e. the output;
• the quality of education; i.e. the process;
• the management of the school, the efficiency, i.e. the work of the management.

Evaluation of Teachers

Teachers are evaluated constantly - the evaluation is focused on the class. They are evaluated by the subject-supervisors, the heads of classes are evaluated by the grade-masters. The work of the subject- and activity-supervisors is evaluated by the persons in charge of the different fields of knowledge. The grade-masters - who are responsible for the fields of knowledge as well - are evaluated by the principal and the deputy principal, who are evaluated by outside experts at least once in every four years.

One of the objectives related to quality assurance is the development of the organizational culture. The aim is to give more and more responsibilities to teachers, to involve them into the process of setting goals and defining priorities and to provide them with problems instead of tasks (empowerment). The system of appraisal is designed to develop the above competencies.

Evaluation of the Innovation

Data are at our disposal concerning the proportion of students admitted to colleges and universities in the period of the innovation: this ratio was 10-15% up to 1994, 30% in 1995, 45% in 1996 and 62% in 1999.

3.2. The Erdőkertes School

Basic information

Exact name of the institution:	NEUMANN JÁNOS ÁLTALÁNOS ISKOLA
Address:	2113 Erdokertes, Fo tér 6.
Phone/fax:	+36-28-476-134
Principal's name:	Béla Kapuvári ( kapuvari@enjai.sulinet.hu
E-mail address:	enjai@enjai.sulinet.hu http://www.emnjai.sulinet.hu

Objectives

Erdokertes is a settlement in the neighborhood of Budapest, Gödöllo and Vác, with a population of 4600. No industrial or agricultural employment is available in the settlement, most inhabitants commute to the neighboring towns and cities. Through the teaching and application of ICT technologies the school wishes to simultaneously develop the skills of its students and establish a regional information system.

The introduction of the education of basic geographic informatics was started in September 1996. The aim was to provide the students with some knowledge on geographic informatics as the most modern method for the preparation of decision making. The geographic informatics program constitutes a part of the school's educational program. The school is participating in numerous international and national ICT programs, such as the OECD, the National Geographic Channel and the Knowledge Center (tudásközpont) programs. The school also plays a key role in the settlement with respect to the organization of adult education, special courses and retraining as well as in rendering modern information services.

Presently Running Innovations Related to the Application of ICT

1. Participation in the school experiment entitled Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the Quality of Education organized by the OECD's international research team and the ELTE TTK Educational Technology Center, Multimedia and Pedagogy Research Team (ELTE TTK Oktatástechnológiai Központ, Multimédia és Pedagógia Kutatócsoport);
2. Participation in the preparatory phase of the National Geographic Channel's educational experiment. Its purposes are: the examination of to what extent the national Geographic Channel's scientific films may be used in education, contents description, methodological recommendations, the preparation of a workbook, the development of a data base, the realization of the classroom application of those video films with respect to which all the above tasks have been performed.
3. The development of the Knowledge Center of the Fót-Veresegyház-Erdokertes-Kerepestarcsa Knowledge Corridor of the Pest County Knowledge Region.

Description of Three Innovative Programs

1. The OECD school experiment concerning the education of physics and mathematics was started in March 2000 upon the request of the ELTE. It is scheduled for the 2000-2001 school year and its conclusions will be utilized in the whole country. The teachers participating in the research are paid by the OM (Ministry of Education) and the ELTE TTK (ELTE University, Faculty of Natural Sciences). The participants keep in touch through a mailing list and they also meet personally once a month at the ELTE TTK. The realization is evaluated by the OECD, the OM and the ELTE TTK.
2. Its antecedent was the Írisz Sulinet Internet problem solving competition organized by the OM and the National Geographic Channel in 1999 (the school's cartographer study circle won the national competition twice). The school entered the competition upon the request of the National Geographic Channel. The program is scheduled for the 2000-2001 school year, its aim is the application of the international experiences in Hungary. The results will be utilized in the whole country with the participation of the OM and the OKI (National Institute for Education). The participating teachers are paid by the National Geographic Channel. The Hungarian director and the experts of the National Geographic Channel communicates with the teachers via e-mail. The program is evaluated by the National Geographic Channel and the participating schools.
3. In 1999 the school was approached by the Third Millennium Foundation (Harmadik Évezred Alapítvány - HÉA), the Institute for the Research of Strategy (Stratégiakutató Intézet), and the self-governments of Nagykovácsi and Pest County. Following this, the school participated in regional conferences and the development of the Knowledge Center of the Pest County Knowledge Region was launched. The task is undertaken in the spirit of the EU's eEurope project and the eHungary (eMagyarország) governmental information program. Thus, the program suits the regional, national and EU-conform frameworks as well. The realization has been continual. The financial support is likely to be provided by the Self-government of Pest County, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Education and EU grants (the program has not received financial support so far). The program is evaluated by the organizations providing financial support.

The objective of all the three programs is the realization of the information society. Therefore, all segments of society are concerned: the parents, the entrepreneurs, the business organizations, the local community, professional experts and civil organizations.

Teachers, Staff

In the course of the geographic informatics project launched in 1996 the members of the teaching staff (of 41 persons) have taken part in number of training programs (the total number of hours is approximately 30.000).

The staff accepted the importance of ICT in education unanimously. 11 teachers teach informatics and computer science in the school. More and more other teachers have started to use the computer, the Internet and mailing lists. Those teachers who apply the computer in teaching other subjects receive a "computer-bonus". Each teacher has his or her e-mail address. There is a multi media computer in the teachers' room.

The school has its own part-time system manager, every teacher has his or her own access, account and access to the common directory on the Windows NT network. The teachers have formed small working groups in the course of solving the different tasks and managing the projects. More and more teachers join the work of regional and national organizations - they write articles and publish essays (Iskolakultúra, the publications of the HÉA, http://www.inco.hu).

Management of the Programs

There was a possibility to employ a project manager at the start of the geographic informatics program. Since then and with respect to the other programs the head of the institution has been coordinating the tasks.

Perspectives

The creativity, the expertise and innovative skills of the teachers may be relied upon during the course of the innovative programs. The development and modernization indispensable for the continuation cannot be financed from the maintenance amounts. The school is trying to secure the necessary sources by applying for different grants.

3.3. "Circle Chain" (Körlánc) School

Basic information

Exact name of the institution:	VITÉZ JÁNOS RÓMAI KATOLIKUS TANÍTÓKÉPZŐ FŐISKOLA GYAKORLÓ ÁLTALÁNOS ISKOLÁJA
Address:	2500 Esztergom, Helischer utca 5.
Phone/fax:	phone: +36-33-413-911, fax: +36-33-413-493
Principal's name:	Sipos Imréné
E-mail address:	Viragi@vjrktf.hu http://www.emnjai.sulinet.hu

Objectives

The school is a model school of environmental education that has been operating within the framework of the Circle Chain (Körlánc) Program since 1992. Its aim is to educate the pupils in an environment-conscious manner and to form their way of life in a way that enables the next generation to prevent or mitigate the deepening environmental crisis. Within the framework of the program the emphasis of curricular, extracurricular and free time activities is placed on environment-consciousness and the moral requirements of social life. In accordance with its local educational program the school provides every teacher with training preparing them for environmental education and with the conditions of creative and innovative work. Since the institution is the training school of the teacher training college, its environment-conscious approach shapes the attitudes of the trainee teachers serving their practice time here as well.

Background

The Circle Chain is a national environmental education program based on American support. At the beginning of the program the American partner (Institute for Sustainable Communities) participated in the professional preparation. The work has been monitored by the Hungarian professional director through the annual evaluation.

Within the framework of the Cirlce Chain program the school has been in constant connection with the Circle's working groups of the colleges and universities of Budapest, Kecskemét, Eger, Szeged and Debrecen as well as with environmental education experts of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. At the school level the Circle Chain team develops the annual environmental education program for the whole school. The members of the team hold a nationally accredited environmental INSET training.

Environment

Their work is characterized by cooperation with the parents: open classes and joint events are organized frequently. The Circle Chain Lodge - Environmental and Humanitarian Association (Körlánc Páholy - Környezetvédo és Emberbarát Egyesület) has been established with the participation of pupils, teachers and parents.

The prefect of the Archbishop's College of Theology and the priest teaching religion are also members of the local working group. The senior officials of the local self-government visit the events organized by the school and they also actively participate in the realization. The school maintains active personal connections with the local educational institutions, the industrial plants and the environmental organizations. The cooperation is mainly realized in the form of field visits but some of these entities also participate in sponsoring the school.

In the school the different occupations are presented by the local representatives of the given profession. The presentation of sciences, arts and sports also takes place with the participation of acknowledged experts of the fields. The school also participates in the social life of the town - it organizes the Ball of Parents every year. School activities related to environment-consciousness.

• Educational walks
• The cultivation of plants in the school, breeding small animals
• Selective waste collection
• The constant maintenance of an aesthetic environment (yard, building)
• Preparation of collections and albums
• Preparation of souvenirs
• Organization and preparation of exhibitions
• Organization of ceremonial presentations
• Community programs (street-drawing competitions, student-teacher sport events, fashion shows, etc.)

Activities aimed at the community development, the improvement of knowledge, skills and the shaping of attitudes:

• Ski and sports camps
• Camps at the weekends aiming at the community development of classes
• Forest school (processing of the curriculum in the form of projects)

Integration of the Program into the System

The innovation was launched in 1992 before the passing of the Act on Public Education and the publication of the National Core Curriculum (NAT). These developments did not require the amendment of the program, what is more: the environmental education program served as the basis of the school's pedagogical program established in 1998. The integration of the program into the life of the school was not problematic either - the necessary number of hours was liberated by merging the hours appropriated for two subjects: environmental studies and handicrafts.

Financial Questions

Within the framework of the American-Hungarian Circle Chain project the American partner provided the financial basis for the introduction of the innovation. The special books are supplied at the expense of the Circle Chain Program Office. The other assets at the disposal of the environmental education program are: the school yard (a large well-kept garden with green grass, flowers and trees), the compost pile, tents and other camping equipment. The school also rents camping places (Visegrád-Mogyoróhegy, Pilismarót) and a farm (Szeged-Körmöcpuszta).

Teachers, Staff

The number of pupils is around 500. There are 41 teachers in the school, 21 out of whom are supervising teachers. At the beginning the professional director of the Circle Chain organized the training programs for the Circle Chain working group (the principal and the new members of the growing working group participated in these on a regular basis). The members of the working group gave lectures to the members of the teaching staff at team and staff level. Since 1992 the number of the working group members has increased from 3 to 17. The members have published articles in the periodical entitled Tanító, in the local and regional papers and in the Circle Chain publications. They promote the realization of the local programs and summer camps by applying for grants. They participate in training programs held in Hungary and abroad as lecturers and organize international, national and local events.

Evaluation

The realization of the program is evaluated by the professional head of the Circle Chain working group. The close and multi-level relationship between the school and its environment provides continuous feedback. The school's activities have been examined by:

• The leaders and the fellows of the American partner institution
• The professional head of the project
• The headmaster of the college
• The leader and the departmental fellows of the working group
• The parents of the pupils
• The members of the partner working group operating in Kecskemét
• The representatives of the local communities
• The representatives of educational bodies
• Journalists and TV reporters

The principal has prepared a comprehensive analysis about the realization of the Circle Chain school program.

3.4. "Chance" (Esély) Technical School

Basic information

Exact name of the institution:	PÁLYAKEZDŐ FIATALOK ESÉLY ALAPÍTVÁNYA KÉZMŰVES ÉS SZOLGÁLTATÓ SZAKISKOLÁJA
Address:	1201 Budapest, Pöltenberg utca 10-12.
Phone/fax:	+36-1-283-0951
Principal's name:	István Takács
E-mail address:	Esely@mail.datanet.hu http://www.emnjai.sulinet.hu

Objectives

In the Hungarian educational system the estimated proportion of young people leaving the system without secondary education or professional qualification is 25-30 percent. These are students struggling with severe disadvantages who drop out from elementary school or technical schools of low prestige. This is why it is indispensable to develop and operate vocationally oriented education programs, which take into account the special mental and social characteristics and needs of these socially disadvantaged persons and contain - beside technical education - social care and the enhancement of the students' employment as a part of the program. The Technical School of the Chance Foundation of Career-starting Youth is such a program.

Background

The school was established in 1990 and has been operating in the present foundation form since 1996. At present 16 professions (mostly folk crafts) are being taught at two premises for approximately 550 students, most of whom are from Budapest and its neighborhood, however, some of the arrive from distant regions of Hungary and even from the neighboring countries. At a national level the institution functions as the center of those 30-35 schools which have adopted the Chance Technical School's program.

Program and Realization

The technical education program of the Chance Technical School is based on the thought that while studying in the school and learning the manual skills necessary for creating beautiful objects, the students do not only learn a profession but their self-esteem is also strengthened, which improves their chance to be employed and integrate into society. The students may buy the objects prepared during the courses at a production price. The good quality pieces are sold at folk art fares and the proceeds are used for financing the acquisition of raw materials.

The following ways of life are characteristic of the students admitted to the school:

• They accomplished their lower secondary studies with weak results.
• They accomplished their lower secondary studies with good results but they had no motivation or appropriate information concerning further education
• They started their upper secondary studies but dropped out for some reason
• They accomplished their upper secondary studies but they see a better career opportunity in learning a profession here

Thus, it is clear that - owing to their disadvantageous background - most students have learning problems. The detrimental social situation is often accompanied by organic and mental disorders. This is consciously undertaken by the institution, however, the conditions that would enable the school to handle these problems properly are lacking. The assistance is given and the tasks related to improvement are performed by teachers. Due to financial problems the school has been able to employ social workers and psychologists only on a temporary basis. The school also faces a serious adaptation challenge because of the new legal regulations of technical education, that allows only general education in the 9th and 10th grades, and the commencement of technical education must be scheduled for the 11th grade. Most teachers believe that the shortened technical education - one year in the case of certain professions - is not enough for the reinforcement of the attitude that is necessary for finding employment.

Teachers, Staff

There are 65 teachers and a technical personnel of 11. All the craftsmen teaching different folk crafts are acknowledged representatives of their respective profession, most of them have received different artistic awards and titles. The teachers providing general education strive to prepare for the education of socially disadvantaged students by participating in postgraduate and in-service training programs.

Equipment

The school developed 15 new special textbooks in the course of the previous school year. The works of the craftsmen teaching at the school have been presented in a book financed from an MKM-PHARE grant. The school is planning to prepare a workbook in order to facilitate the work of students struggling with learning difficulties.

Financing

The school has no building of its own - it rents its present building from the Self-government of Pesterzsébet for HUF 5 million per year -, which significantly reduces the sum that the institution can spend on educational activities. The constant sources of maintenance are the per capita state quota, the operation contribution paid by the self-government of Budapest in accordance with the public education agreement, and the governmental contribution. The school complements its budget from grants (PHARE-program, OFA, the Labor Center of Budapest [Fovárosi Munkaügyi Központ], the Vocational Training Fund [Szakképzési Alap] and the Soros Foundation). However, this does not solve the problem of maintenance, since the grant suppliers call the school to account for the realization of the actual priorities, which - in most cases - implies a one-time action or short-term program and does not take the long-term educational process into account.

Perspectives

The main objective of the school is to create a supply system model on the basis of the functioning institution. Within this framework the school wishes to develop the following services (beyond the teaching of different professions) by institutionalizing the temporary and small-scale procedures that have proved to be effective:

• assessment of the condition of the students for the purpose of complex services (cognitive abilities, health, mental state and social background)
• the employment of social educators, social workers, psychologists and speech therapists in order to provide professional care
• the development of an "incubator" program helping the students to get employed (The one year provided for learning the profession is not enough for the students to be socialized for work. This is why the school provided some of its former student with an opportunity to work for one year after finishing the school. The institution wishes to expand this program to 2-3 persons per workshop, which would mean 30-50 new work places.)

In order to guarantee the high-level and balanced operation of the school and the supply system the institution has started to launch competitive enterprises and is planning to establish further such entities. The enterprises are organized with the participation of teachers and former students employed in the school. The school is launching an accredited in-service teacher training in the 2000-2001 school year. It is also planning to launch market based training programs and - following the Danish model - the sale of products manufactured by its students on the basis of the needs of the market.