Dénes Dienes: History of the Reformed Church Collég in Sárospatak (Sárospatak, 2013)
THE STRUGGLE AGAINST MARGINALIZATION- BEFORE AND AFTER WORLD WAR II. - In the service of talent - István Harsányi
198 was one of the main organizers of the Patak alumni reunions. He was a well- respected figure in Hungary in the domain of psychology and pedagogy, often being referred to as a ‘doyen’. He lived to be more than ninety years of age. Most of his textbooks are related to his work in caring for talented students within the realm of psychological and pedagogical methods. He also dabbled in other topics of research when he worked at the Institute of Psychology and published studies on personal development, on analyzing students’ family trees and on the methodical requirements for the transfer of scientific information. In the time during the changes in the political system in the late 1980s, already at an elderly age, he joined a group whose goal was to revive the ‘people’s college’ The nurturing of talent - a collective task and responsibility While it speaks of the unfolding of personal abilities, it emphasizes that the ultimate goal of the experiment is to create a responsible working community, “a working community which relies foremost on pastors, teachers, primary school teachers and civilians who have visited the love village’ of Sárospatak, but it does not exclude anyone who wishes to offer his/her free service." Already the selection process for members in this group is important, for as Harsányi points out, even Mihály Tompa was first discovered upon the recommendation of a primary school teacher from Igric. He describes an active organization which focuses on talented students years before they start the secondary school and follows them - possibly for many years - after they finish it. An integral part of the system is to give poor or needy students a chance, not judging their abilities by the results of their elementary-level schooling but by a separate, independent evaluation and selection process. Random capriciousness must therefore be transformed by the Reformed Church people by their own means for the benefit of the Reformed Church people. The selection process consists of two rounds. The first part is the qualification process which takes place in writing in the given child’s village under the supervision of the local pastor and teacher. Students are to write an essay and solve a number of mathematical exercises. The essays are corrected by a special committee consisting of secondary school teachers. The successful candidates are called to Sárospatak where they take another written and oral examination. The exercises in the examination are based on the latest psychological and pedagogical findings. As a result of this process, nine students were admitted to the secondary school in the 1939-1940 school year. Nonetheless, Harsányi made a self-critical comment when he admitted that the system was not yet without flaws nor finalized and that it needed more fine-tuning. Notes on the progress of these students are taken and teachers work with them individually so that the cause of any possible shortcomings or difficulties can be identified in time and common effort expended in dealing with the problem. Not the slightest sign of preferential treatment in the admission process is to be tolerated and admitted students are to demonstrate understanding and cognitive behaviour far superior to that of their peers. The early recognition of talent by means of conversation, by suggesting good books to read and then by signalling the existence of such children to the College’s secondary school teachers are the tasks of the local pastor and primary school teachers. In certain instances, certain children who do not possess an above average level of intelligence but show an exceptional interest and excel in logical thinking, arts or in mechanics can be admitted to the program. A further responsibility of the local pastor or school teacher is to become familiarized with each student’s background and immediate environment. Serious and morally dysfunctional family backgrounds are rarely corrigible. It is also beneficial to gather information about possible long-standing or recurring illnesses in the family (tuberculosis, syphilis, and dementia). The practice of sending children off to school who are useless in doing any work or prove to be shiftless is not to be tolerated. The pastor and the teacher have the further responsibility of providing financial assistance to the student ifit is needed. In such cases, it is most effective for the congregation to organize a collection when such a needy student embarks on his/her lengthy travel to Sárospatak - advises a guideline of the organization. THE STRUGGLE AGAINST MARGINALIZATION
