Gandhi School
The Gandhi School (Hungarian Gandhi Közalapítványi Gimnázium és Kollégium ) in Pécs in Hungary is the first school in Europe, which was founded by Roma and is visited.
History
In 1992 the school was donated by various Roma organizations. Since 1994, the school is in operation. It was named after the Indian Mahatma Gandhi, what to emphasize the Indian origin of Roma groups. Co-founder and first director of the school was János Bogdán, which dates from the Somogy County. After an apprenticeship he studied at the Janus Pannonius University of the subjects of history and Hungarian language and literature for teaching at secondary schools. He developed the concept of the educational base Gandhi High School and developed the first curriculum for the school. In the first school year of 1994 it visited 54 students the school. The school is financed by state funds, funds from the European Union as well as donations.
Objectives and curriculum
One goal was to create a way that Roma children can make a graduation degree in order to improve the situation of the ethnic group in Hungary through education, because the current proportion of Roma academics in Hungary is only about one percent. In addition, an awareness of the young people should be taught for their own culture. So also Roma culture and the teaching of the two Roma languages Beas and Lovari are embedded in the curriculum in addition to the usual subjects. As foreign languages English and German are offered. The school facilities is contemporary with a large well-stocked library, computer science rooms and a gymnasium. Meanwhile, a boarding school is affiliated with the school in which accommodate up to 340 students.
The Gandhi School is an open school and can be attended by non-Roma. In addition, it is also possible that Roma and non-Roma adults who have not completed their education for various reasons, to catch the Matura, which is possible through evening classes as well as distance learning.
Current Situation
In 2010, a total of 41 students have graduated from high school, of which 38 have taken a course of study. In February 2013, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, the namesake of the school was inaugurated to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the school.