The Hungarian Student, 1958 (3. évfolyam, 1-2. szám)
1958-10-01 / 1. szám
Magyar Nemzet: «Mid term examinations speak of a higher standard in studies and also in examination discipline. This applies to the whole country .. . However, a closer scrutiny of the national picture calls attention to circumstances which indicate that all is not well in the examination system of universities. Namely approximately half of the students are better than average, just a little over 10 per cent is average, one third of all students are behind with their exams or failed, while not even one per cent has just passed ... The most characteristic feature of the total picture is that the very low percentage of mediocre and just passing students will continue to exist. This means that in the grading of students there is liberalism as well as the principle of maximum demands, or rather some faculties are too lenient in grading, giving better marks than deserved, others on the other hand are too severe. They act as if there were no middle marks . . . For instance at the liberal arts faculty in Budapest nearly one tenth of the students are outstanding, nearly one third is good, the same number is better than average, not quite 20 per cent failed while those who have just about met the requirements do not make up even one 50th of the total number . . . The situation is quite different at the University of Technology where students are easily failed if they do not reach the standard of good or average .. . The excess of liberalism and too rigid standards speak of the shortcomings in our educational system. It is hard to determine which trend is more harmful and for this reason both tendencies must be eliminated ...» According to Béla Sulán the requirements are too rigid at the University of Technology while they are too lax at the liberal arts faculty. The reason for this is that practical requirements created a higher standard at the University of Technology while they created a greater leniency in the liberal arts because of an anxiousness to turn out a new educator set as fast as possible. Greatest difficulties are still around the Marxist-Leninist teachings and the matter of indoctrination. István Gergely, Head of the Marxist-Leninist Department of the Ministry of Education, for instance charged in a September 19, 1957.
