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If you think of the Danube as a fantasy river in an old waltz, that fantasy became real for special education professor Marilyn Graham in the spring of 1998. Several days a week for four months she crossed the river Danube, called the “Duna” in Hungarian, from her apartment in Buda to the Bárczi Gusztáv College of Special Education in Pest. Graham was in Budapest as a Fulbright senior scholar and lecturer at a crucial time in the restructuring of special education in Hungary, and she had an unusual opportunity to share her expertise in the right places.
Hungary, explains Graham, has regular schools and special schools; most children with disabilities go to special schools. Even teacher training is completely separate, with high school teachers training only at the universities, and elementary and special education teachers each training at separate colleges. Bárczi College, which also offers a social work program, is the only special education college in the country.
“Hungary has an old, proud system of special education,” says Graham. “For 100 years they have recognized the value of educating all students.” Now they are tentatively exploring a new approach, an approach known in the United States as inclusion. “They are beginning to identify students with mild disabilities in the regular schools,” says Graham. “They are concerned about meeting those children’s needs, and they are considering the possibility of relocating special education programs to public school settings.”
As is normal on the brink of any major restructuring, there are questions and concerns. Special education teachers are afraid they will lose their jobs if special education programs and services are moved to regular schools and everyone is concerned about behavior management. Graham was able to address these and other issues from the perspective of a professional who works closely with inclusion programs.
When she first received her Fulbright award, Graham thought she would be teaching students at Bárczi College. She designed her courses and sent ahead four boxes of books, samples she had collected from textbook companies and extras from her own and colleagues’ shelves. However, a month before her arrival she learned that she would be lecturing to various classes at Bárczi College and throughout the country, rather than teaching specific courses. No matter. The books were much appreciated by Hungarian faculty members, who earn the equivalent of about $250 a month and often work two or three extra jobs. The college, which had received a major research grant related to inclusion and had done a needs assessment in the schools, arranged a busy lecture tour to allow Graham to address the concerns that had surfaced.
Graham spoke to approximately 1,000 educators throughout Hungary, visiting 10 schools and giving 15 presentations from a half to a full day in length. Through a translator, she spoke on such topics as classroom behavior management, inclusion, U.S. special education laws and accommodations for students with varying disabilities. She used a variety of teaching methods and kept her presentations informal because “I wanted them to have a good feeling about American education and the way we teach,” says Graham. She was pleased when a colleague told her, “It is the way you taught that they will remember even more than the facts that you taught them.”
Graham was treated as a visiting dignitary. The vice president of the college, Marta Zsoldos, arranged the first month’s schedule of presentations and introduced her to the faculty and board of directors. Twice the college’s president, Sándor Illyés, the only person at the college who owned a car, drove her to an extension course in Kaposvar. On the second visit, she made a major presentation, for which he acted as her translator.
Many of the presentations were at schools in “the country” -- anywhere outside Budapest -- and she traveled by bus and train, often with Yvonne Csani, director of the grant. “After we arrived,” says Graham, “our hosts would have coffee for us. After my presentation, we would have lunch in the school’s dining hall. Then we would be given a tour of special sites in the town. We had many lovely interactions; we always exchanged gifts.”
Such “lovely interactions” went beyond Graham’s official duties. She became close to her landlord’s family, who lived next door and treated her as if they were her hosts. Bárczi professor Elizabeth Csiky, who befriended Graham and who has a passion for classical music, took her weekly to concerts at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and to operas, ballets and other musical events. Graham feels honored that she was invited a number of times into the homes of Hungarian friends for refreshments, dinners and family parties.
Graham was overwhelmed by the graciousness of the Hungarians, who were “caring and delightful,” she says. She hopes she was able to contribute something useful to the educators there. Most of all, she values the relationships she built and treasures the friendships she formed both with her Hungarian hosts and her fellow American Fulbrighters.
[BACK]
If you think of the Danube as a fantasy river in an old waltz, that fantasy became real for special education professor Marilyn Graham in the spring of 1998. Several days a week for four months she crossed the river Danube, called the “Duna” in Hungarian, from her apartment in Buda to the Bárczi Gusztáv College of Special Education in Pest. Graham was in Budapest as a Fulbright senior scholar and lecturer at a crucial time in the restructuring of special education in Hungary, and she had an unusual opportunity to share her expertise in the right places.
Hungary, explains Graham, has regular schools and special schools; most children with disabilities go to special schools. Even teacher training is completely separate, with high school teachers training only at the universities, and elementary and special education teachers each training at separate colleges. Bárczi College, which also offers a social work program, is the only special education college in the country.“Hungary has an old, proud system of special education,” says Graham. “For 100 years they have recognized the value of educating all students.” Now they are tentatively exploring a new approach, an approach known in the United States as inclusion. “They are beginning to identify students with mild disabilities in the regular schools,” says Graham. “They are concerned about meeting those children’s needs, and they are considering the possibility of relocating special education programs to public school settings.”
As is normal on the brink of any major restructuring, there are questions and concerns. Special education teachers are afraid they will lose their jobs if special education programs and services are moved to regular schools and everyone is concerned about behavior management. Graham was able to address these and other issues from the perspective of a professional who works closely with inclusion programs.
When she first received her Fulbright award, Graham thought she would be teaching students at Bárczi College. She designed her courses and sent ahead four boxes of books, samples she had collected from textbook companies and extras from her own and colleagues’ shelves. However, a month before her arrival she learned that she would be lecturing to various classes at Bárczi College and throughout the country, rather than teaching specific courses. No matter. The books were much appreciated by Hungarian faculty members, who earn the equivalent of about $250 a month and often work two or three extra jobs. The college, which had received a major research grant related to inclusion and had done a needs assessment in the schools, arranged a busy lecture tour to allow Graham to address the concerns that had surfaced.
Graham spoke to approximately 1,000 educators throughout Hungary, visiting 10 schools and giving 15 presentations from a half to a full day in length. Through a translator, she spoke on such topics as classroom behavior management, inclusion, U.S. special education laws and accommodations for students with varying disabilities. She used a variety of teaching methods and kept her presentations informal because “I wanted them to have a good feeling about American education and the way we teach,” says Graham. She was pleased when a colleague told her, “It is the way you taught that they will remember even more than the facts that you taught them.”
Graham was treated as a visiting dignitary. The vice president of the college, Marta Zsoldos, arranged the first month’s schedule of presentations and introduced her to the faculty and board of directors. Twice the college’s president, Sándor Illyés, the only person at the college who owned a car, drove her to an extension course in Kaposvar. On the second visit, she made a major presentation, for which he acted as her translator.
Many of the presentations were at schools in “the country” -- anywhere outside Budapest -- and she traveled by bus and train, often with Yvonne Csani, director of the grant. “After we arrived,” says Graham, “our hosts would have coffee for us. After my presentation, we would have lunch in the school’s dining hall. Then we would be given a tour of special sites in the town. We had many lovely interactions; we always exchanged gifts.”
Such “lovely interactions” went beyond Graham’s official duties. She became close to her landlord’s family, who lived next door and treated her as if they were her hosts. Bárczi professor Elizabeth Csiky, who befriended Graham and who has a passion for classical music, took her weekly to concerts at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and to operas, ballets and other musical events. Graham feels honored that she was invited a number of times into the homes of Hungarian friends for refreshments, dinners and family parties.
Graham was overwhelmed by the graciousness of the Hungarians, who were “caring and delightful,” she says. She hopes she was able to contribute something useful to the educators there. Most of all, she values the relationships she built and treasures the friendships she formed both with her Hungarian hosts and her fellow American Fulbrighters.
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