Schools Need to Preserve Traditional Cultural Values, Says President Novák

The unity of the student, the teacher, and the parent is needed in school, said Hungarian President Katalin Novák on Saturday at the closing ceremony of the XXIII Carpathian Basin Conference of Scientific Student Circles in Gödöllő.

She stressed that we need teachers who listen to and focus on students, and work for their long-term interests. You also need students who complement their talents with hard work and parents who are there for their children and teachers. This triple bond must not be broken by either enforcing interests or inadequate regulation, she stressed.

The president stressed that in the age of artificial intelligence, a good school is one that preserves old, national, traditional cultural values and uses new technology, and modern knowledge and methods.

A good school is one that educates progressively and conservatively at the same time.

“We need such schools in Hungary, too,” she pointed out.

Katalin Novák drew attention to the Stipendium Peregrinum scholarship program, which gives talented students in higher education the opportunity to study abroad at the best universities in the world. She said that we can remain good Hungarians even if we travel the world, if we gain experience in other parts of the world and expand our knowledge there. It is a different feeling to marvel at the richness of the Carpathian Basin when returning from other parts of the world, she pointed out. The president underlined that it is currently possible to apply for the A component of the scholarship, which can help with admission procedures, language exams, and travel expenses, among other things.

Novák also spoke about the importance of asking questions, and seeking and finding answers. She said that it is difficult to ask questions, and that daring to ask is courage in itself, but it is also a great thing to listen and hear the answers.

Featured photo via MTI/Bruzák Noémi