null Roma Nationality Study Scholarship Diploma Ceremony

On 13 December, the Roma Nationality Study Scholarship Diploma Ceremony took place, where, as in previous years, 25 talented Roma students with excellent secondary school performance received their diplomas. The young people concerned will receive a monthly scholarship of 30,000 HUF for the academic years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026, based on an open call for applications by the Ministry of the Interior. The event was opened by the Minority Ombudsman, followed by speeches by Attila Sztojka, State Secretary for Social Opportunities and Roma Relations, and István Aba-Horváth, President of the National-level Roma Self-Government.

The aim of the Roma Nationality Study Scholarship is to provide support to high ability secondary school students of the Roma nationality, as defined in Annex 1 of Act CLXXIX of 2011 on the Rights of Nationalities, in order to promote their further studies in higher education institutions, based on the recommendation of secondary schools providing Roma nationality education - in the framework of the performance of state tasks related to the Roma nationality in Hungary. The scholarship is only open to pupils attending secondary schools where the school provides secondary education in the mother tongue of the Roma nationality or in a bilingual education or - in the case of nationalities without mother tongue bilingual secondary education - teaching of Lovari or Boyash languages or Romani ethnography.

In her speech, the Minority Ombudsman stressed that "living together is sometimes difficult because a lot of effort has to be invested in understanding, accepting and often even tolerating other people. And this is just as true at school, in a group of friends or even in a family, because we are so diverse and sometimes so difficult to understand! Sometimes it is not easy! Cooperation and thinking together are now essential to building a better life. As Magda Szabó says: "How much greater is the experience of the good when it is to be fought for; how much more powerful to live like a team of climbers, in the safety of the rope that (...) invisibly binds us together, to feel happiness and sorrow together, to be excited together, to hope together, to wait and help the other who is in trouble." So I encourage you to climb these imaginary mountains together! Think together! Talk, debate and take the time and patience to get to know others' points of view. Together, learn to speak each other's language! - Literally and figuratively. If you understand the words your partner uses, and thus get a glimpse into his or her thoughts, you will slowly understand what he or she thinks about you and the world. And then you can see why they make certain choices and behave the way they do."

 

After the welcoming speeches, Natália Jakab, Acting Director of Gandhi High School, College, Elementary School and Primary Art School and its member institution, and Edit Vajayné Ruskó, Teacher of Don Bosco Elementary School, Vocational School, Technical School, High School and College, presented the activities of their schools, followed by the ceremonial presentation of diplomas. The event ended with a musical and dancing performance by the students of Gandhi High School for the nearly 100 people present.