The Bell Has Rung In ‘SoldierSchool’

The renewed website katonasuli.hu and course book Basic Military Studies were introduced on March 13, 2010 in the Stefánia Palace in Budapest, in the framework of the national finals of the competition organized for secondary school students by the Cultural Association for Vocational Students. Those who will take the subject next year can prepare for the final exams from the new course book, moreover, the renewed homepage will also help them in their studies.

Since 2004, when the ‘danger’ of compulsory enlistment passed, the overwhelming majority of young people do not have any experience about what exactly the defence forces, the military mean, or how barracks look like on the inside. In spite of that, there is still a number of teenagers who wish to know more about this topic – they do not want to be in a situation that the first time they find out about the basic questions of national defence is in specialized higher education, at the university.

– I have the honour that now, in March 2010, I can introduce the Basic Military Studies course book to the public, which has been renewed both in content and layout and which is a quality book that meets the requirements of our times to the maximum extent – said Major General (eng.) Dr. László Lakatos, the head of the Department for Planning and Coordination, MoD (HM TKF) in his opening speech. Dr. Lakatos and his deputy, Colonel Ferenc Magyar introduced the new homepage that can be called the ’virtual aid’ to the subject.

Naturally, the KatonaSuli (‘SoldierSchool’) program is present not only in the life of secondary school students. In institutions of higher education students can take basic national defence studies, and those who have had basic military studies in secondary school have an advantage. Richárd Marti and Szabolcs Marton are second-year students at Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence. They went to Fáy András Vocational School in Bátonyterenye and took basic military studies as well.

– Back then we could take this subject only at study group level, but we learned almost the same things what secondary school students are learning today. Although both of us have chosen a ’civilian subject’, our studies are still a great help because they are a good foundation for us to build on – Szabolcs and Richárd told us.

Zsolt Ivádi took the final examination in basic military studies last year and later he signed up for a security organizer course. – I would like to continue my studies at a university, and if I have a chance, I would like to be a soldier, but I haven’t decided on the corps – told us Zsolt Ivádi, who came with a schoolmate, Beatrix Gál. Both of them went to Fáy András Vocational School, but the fragile girl is younger. She still has two more years until the final exams.

– I’m a tenth-form student. I have always been interested in national defence, the military, and I wanted to learn more about these things. This is why I have chosen a class where basic military studies are thought. In addition to theory, we have practical classes as well, of course. In these classes we have formation drills, we march, lay wreaths… things like that. I am a squad commander, so I command the others during these drills – said Beatrix who, despite the fact that she has become immersed in studies of military nature, has not decided yet if she wants to have a job in military. But in her opinion, regardless of the career she choses – either in civil life or in the military – she will benefit from the knowledge she has gained over the years.

Csaba Csanka, who also participated in the Saturday event, has taught all four students. The leader of the educational institution has an extensive experience, since he has been teaching this subject in Fáy András Vocational School for years, moreover, he is a reservist lieutenant himself. The institution led by him is a front runner in teaching defence studies; before the accreditation of the subject they had national defence study groups for students. It is not a coincidence that their students apply for Zrínyi Miklós University of National Defence, the Police College, or the Military Vocational School almost every year.

Csaba Csank also gave a presentation about their experiences, plans, and achievements. Colonel Ferenc Magyar gave a presentation on the past, present, and future of the KatonaSuli program and told the audience that there is a great interest in the country in the subject of basic military studies, and – beyond the fact that it is taught in almost a dozen schools at the moment – there are several institutions that plan to include it in their syllabus in the near future.