The Hungarian Student, 1958 (2. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1958 / 2. szám
6 the Hungarian student High Schools and Gymnasiums: Two Forms of Education THE PARTICULAR emphasis on science in Hungary continues through four years of high school, and approximately half of the students pursue this subject farther at the university level. One reason for this may be the statement of Lenin, “Everything depends on the mastering of the technical sciences.” By this he implied that science will be the deciding factor in the existing race between world governments. Even factory workers are given special courses which they must attend. The percentage of pupils attending high school in the United states is much larger than in Hungary. There are no choices within the four different curriculums offered by the typical “gymnasium”: General, Humanities, Commercial, and Technical, but on completion of this, his “matúra,” the student is eligible for the university. This fact does not hold true in the United States. Most United States high schools offer a course similar to the above, but with no separate division for general and humanities, and with more “Credit Strength” for college-specified courses. Their comprehensive curriculum requires the study of certain basic subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies—and supplements them with proper electives. Commercial courses give training for business positions. College Preparatory is just what the name implies, and in this the student may stress languages and Social Studies, or Mathematics and Science. Program of the Gymnasium A Mathematics-Science major would encounter the following high school subjects: Algebra the first year; Plane Geometry and Algebra the second year; intermediate Math and Physics the third year; Solid Geometry, Trigonometry, and Advanced Algebra during the last year. This schedule would comprise compulsory and elective subjects. The general gymnasium would require under “science,” the following courses without any choice whatsoever: Chemistry, Math, and Biology the first year; adding Physics the second year; the third year omits Chemistry and adds Plane Geometry. During the fourth year the same four courses are continued. The table on this page shows that these are only part of the total requirements. Note also that the American Science Major’s schedule is compared only with one in the general gymnasium, one in a technical high school would receive more concentrated science. These subjects are not only numerous, but more detailed, in the Hungarian general curriculum. For example, a student in his last year of high school here learns simple differentiation and is able to solve this problem: “A farmer has one hundred yards of woven wire fencing, from which he wishes to make the largest possible rectangular yard, using a straight river for one side. What must be its dimensions?” (Edgerton and Carpenter, Advanced Algebra.) The Hungarian student in the same year is able to calculate the volume of a Solid of Revolution by means of integral calculus. In Chemistry the situation seems the same, as the unequal difficulty of the following examples will show. “Carbon monoxide burns oxygen to form carbon dioxide. What volume of carbon dioxide is produced when 25.1 of carbon monoxide burns ? What volumen of oxygen is required?” (Dull, Brooks, and Metcalfe, Modern Chemistry.) A problem from a Hungarian textbook is as follows. “Carbon monoxide reacts with chlorine giving phosgene. The concentration of carbon monoxide is 0.3 mol/liter, of chlorine is 0.2 mol/liter. How will the velocity of reaction change if we increase the concentration of carbon monoxide to 1.2 mol/liter, and of chlorine to 0.6 mol/ liter?” A comparative table of an American high school student specializing in Science-Math, and of a Hungarian student in general gymnasium shows this pattern: SCIENCE HUMANITIES GENERAL at wu us ALGEBRA GOVERNMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE PHYSICAL EDUCATION ></> HUNGARIAN CHEMISTRY BIOLOGY MATHEMATICS GRAMMAR LITERATURE HISTORY RUSS 1 A N PHYSICAL EDUCATION at US MAINE GEOMETRY DtOLOGY ENGLISH language PHYSICAL EDUCATION >-1 CN HUNGARIAN GEOGRAPHY CHEMISTRY BIOLOGY MATHEMATICS GEOMETRY GRAMMAR LITERATURE HISTORY RUSSIAN PH. ED. at US »NT. MATHEMATICS PHYSICS ENGLISH AMERICAN HISTORY PH. ED. 1 al >T» * *r> HUHGAMAM GEOGRAPHY blOLOGY MATHEMATICS GEOMETRY PHYS 1CS grammar literature HISTORY RUSSIAN PH. ED. at US AbV. ALGE&RA SOLID GEOMETRY TRIGONOMETRY -CHEM. ENGLISH democracy PHED. UJ >Æ 4» HUNGARIAN BIOLOGY MAT HEMAlCS GEOMETRY PHYSICS grammar LITERATURE history democracy RUSSIAN PH. ED. *
