The Hungarian Student, 1958 (2. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1958 / 2. szám
4 the Hungarian student HUNGARIAN AND UNITED STATES SYSTEMS OF EDUCATION—A COMPARISON The following articles, “What Price Elementary Education?” and “High Schools and Gymnasiums: Two Forms of Education,” were written by Menga Thurm. With the accompanying charts and examples, they present a comprehensive comparison between the Hungarian and American systems of education. What Price Elementary Education? STUDENTS ARRIVING in the United States have found that, while the American school system and its requirements are different from those they left, teachers and educators face much the same difficulties. American teachers know little or nothing about the Hungarian school system, so they can hardly be expected to know immediately how to approach their new Hungarian pupils and guide their efforts for a higher education. Before 1949 four years of elementary school were compulsory and free for everyone in Hungary. After that, the student’s financial situation determined whether or not he could continue. If he did, he had to finish eight years of intermediate education before he could enter a university. By 1949, eight years of free schooling was compulsory, whether the student had any future plans of specializing or not. The remaining elective four years were designed to prepare the student for higher education. Schools became supervised by the state. Schedules and requirements were made rigidly uniform throughout the country, leaving the individual teacher little or no freedom. Different Systems In the United States, school systems vary widely. Most individual states offer a syllabus of suggested content material and procedure which the teacher applies according to his own discretion. In many parochial schools, the teacher decides how much time should be spent on each subject, and the overall order of instruction. The Hungarian child attends classes six days a week. Up to the third grade he spends four hours a day in class. After that, five or six hours a day. Unlike the American youngster, his concentration on study is unrelieved by homeroom study periods. He is not even allowed the mild and very refreshing distraction of shifting into different classrooms each hour, as in the American public school. Class periods are fifty minutes long in Hungary, with a tenminute break in between when the student can relax or, at noon, to munch the sandwich or fruit he brought from home. Further comparison of the two systems can best be demonstrated by the table on page 5 breaking down each class according to subjects (Humanities, Science, and General Courses). The second, third, fourth, and sixth grades in American schools, as illustrated, are typical of a parochial school; the others, of a public school. Note the heavy emphasis on Science subjects in Hungarian schools. Homework and extracurricular activities are set aside for the afternoon. You can see at a glance that the Hungarian child is well occupied, in fact totally absorbed, from September through June. Homework in Hungary takes from two to four hours, and if the parents so choose and finances permit, private language and music lessons may take another hour four days a week. A little club work, sports, hiking, and reading is about all a Hungarian child can hope to cram into what remains of a normal day. Basis of Mathematics Elementary education starts hard and fast. Contrary to American customs, the Hungarian child is offered no elective subjects and the same results are expected from everyone. An example of Hungarian haste to educate their young is the fact that the first graders learn to add, substract, multiply, and divide up to a hundred. The American child is given an extra two years to duplicate this performance. Two third grade arithmetic problems, one Hungarian and one American, emphasize this point. “Eight horses need 168 pounds of hay for one day. How much more hay do fifteen horses need for one day?” (From a third grade Hungarian arithmetic book.) “A plane flies 246 miles per hour. At that rate, how far will the plane fly in five hours?” (Iroquois New Standard Arithmetic, 3rd grade American text.) The Hungarian children needed two steps to solve their problem; the American, only one. The concept of fractions already enters into this Hungarian problem, whereas the American sample calls for simple multiplication or division. Hungarian textbooks also offer some amusing mental gymnastics, such as “A snail aims to climb to the top of a tree. At night he climbs four feet, in the day he slips back three feet. On the ninth day he reaches the top. How tall is the tree?” That one is for Hungarian third graders to wrestle with. The Child and the System The new Hungarian system is not as insensitive to individual qualifications as that of the past. This “leniency” succeeds in raising standard requirements and eliminates static curriculum. Fluctuating results sometimes show a surprising range of talents and achievements. Even so, the ability of the student is disregarded to a great degree, and the system never offers an opportunity for the child to receive instruction in direct accordance to his capabilities. In the United States, however, most school children are given I.Q. tests through the eighth grade in elementary school, and are placed into different groups, anywhere from five to ten “ability groups,” according to their test results and scholastic achievement. American textbooks provide much greater visual appeal. Explanations and examples are kept in the realm of everday living. The child receives more attention. Study periods are set aside to cut the burden of homework and “homeroom” classes give him the opportunity to discuss any problem, pertinent or not, that pops into his mind. The American system makes sure that the homeroom teacher has every opportunity to become acquainted with every pupil and give personalized help to those who need it. In many American schools, children have the same teacher year after year. As a finished product the Hungarian child, rigidly disciplined, not too gently treated, often too heavily pressed, is nonetheless a well prepared, responsible, and a thoroughly educated person, ready to take his place in society and make a living—or continue his studies toward more specialized vocations.
