Éva MárÂkus: MinorÂiÂty EduÂcaÂtion – GerÂmans livÂing in HunÂgaÂry
Right for minorÂiÂty eduÂcaÂtion is one of the most imporÂtant part of culÂturÂal autonÂoÂmy perÂtainÂing to minoriÂties. PreÂservÂing self-ÂiÂdenÂtiÂty – lanÂguage, traÂdiÂtions and other culÂturÂal valÂues of a given comÂmuÂniÂty – is one of the basic preÂconÂdiÂtions of realÂizÂing minorÂiÂty eduÂcaÂtionÂpreÂservÂing self-ÂiÂdenÂtiÂty. The role of the eduÂcaÂtion is of key imporÂtance, because a child livÂing in a less assimÂiÂlatÂed comÂmuÂniÂty is not able to sucÂceed only with the archaÂic mothÂer lanÂguage „brought from home“ spoÂken in the famÂiÂly: acquirÂing lanÂguage skills that fit for moÂdern and Euroepan requireÂments and genÂerÂalÂly suitÂable for the moÂdern sociÂeÂty can be ensured only through school sysÂtem trainÂing. The GerÂman lanÂguage from 1945 exists pracÂtiÂcalÂly excluÂsiveÂly as a school lanÂguage, and/or a lanÂguage of the older genÂerÂaÂtion. The GerÂmans in HunÂgaÂry – often despite the good GerÂman skills – speak with each other in forÂmal and inforÂmal sitÂuÂaÂtion HunÂgarÂiÂan. It is a quesÂtion if the school can take over the role of famÂiÂlies in lanÂguage socialiÂaÂtion. The GerÂman teachÂers in HunÂgaÂry genÂerÂalÂly durÂing the teachÂing breaks speak HunÂgarÂiÂan with their stuÂdents. From the introÂduced data and made examÂiÂnaÂtions it is eviÂdent that in HunÂgaÂry the chilÂdren of the GerÂman minorÂiÂty can receive no eduÂcaÂtion in their mothÂer lanÂguage, although the legÂislaÂtive body creÂatÂed posÂsiÂbilÂiÂties for this basic right. From the bilinÂgual schools the minoriÂties can choose from a very few numÂber, but the vast majorÂiÂty of eduÂcaÂtionÂal instiÂtuÂtions still offers the form of lanÂguage teachÂing that is unacÂceptÂable from the point of view of achieved lanÂguage skillÂs. The widenÂing of the palÂlette of bilinÂgual eduÂcaÂtion would be desired, and the gradÂual transÂfer to a one-lanÂguage, GerÂman mothÂer lanÂguage eduÂcaÂtion that could strengthÂen idenÂtiÂty of the GerÂman minorÂiÂty.