Awareness of National Identity in Klcsey Ferenc Grammar

Awareness of National Identity in Kölcsey Ferenc Grammar School First of all a short history lesson: • Hungary around 1900 • Hungary from the Treaty of Trianon* to present day *The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary. Compared to the pre-war Kingdom of Hungary (which was part of Austria. Hungary), post-Trianon Hungary had 72% less territory. More than 3 million Hungarians who lived in the pre -war kingdom lived outside the newly defined borders.

We made a survey among the students about the awareness of national identity and the European Union. We got clever, strange and also funny answers. The upcoming presentation is created from the survey results. Funny answers: Somebody thinks that A total 45 students completed our GDPamount and ourofprime survey us in 2 one different classes. minister makes nation. QUESTION 1/A) 1) What features make people one nation? List the 5 most important ones of them: *Almost everybody listed 2 or 3 features and they often gave wrong answers. Our national symbols, our common rights and obligations and our common geographical territory („ we live in the same country”) don’t make us one nation. But that is true that our language and traditions and culture are very important.

QUESTION 1/B) Do you consider ’national identity’ as an important distinguishing feature of people or can it be neglected? : *The rest of the students did not answer it.

QUESTION 2/A) This question is about citizenship What special rights does citizenship provide for the people? ( they could list as many right as they remembered ) • the rights to vote: 21 • national health service: 6 • the rights for free education: 2 • the rights for life: 4 • the right to protect our personal properties: 1 who thought that the state provides us some rights but listed wrong things: • everything • only the rights but the state does not want us to fulfil any obligations • nothing • I don’t know QUESTION 2/B) What obligations does citizenship impose on us? • we have to obey the laws: 9 • we have to pay taxes to the state: 12 • we have to defend it: 1 • we have to appreciate our country: 2 • we have to approve that we are Hungarians: 1 Wrong answers: (they will be punished ): 3 Everybody shares the same rights but our obligations are different: 1

QUESTION 3) What are the people who are not Hungarian citizens not entitled to? Wrong answers: - they can not do some kinds of jobs - they can not stay in the country for longer time - they only have a few rights - can not pay taxes - they can not have a bank account - they can not have any properties in Hungary

QUESTION 4) There a lot of Hungarians living outside the border of Hungary. Why do they live there? The answers could be divided into two main types: A) Because of the better life: - they have better chances of living, job facilities: 24 - the environment is nicer: 1 - you can make more money with less work abroad: 1 B) Because of the Treaty of Trianon: 26 There were also some students who couldn’t name the Treaty of Trianon (instead they wrote: „a historical event”), shame on them.

QUESTION 5) Is it more difficult for them? 7 38 QUESTION 6) Are they the same Hungarians as we are? 38 7

QUESTION 7) Should we feel responsibile for them? -They do not live here -They do not need it themselves as they decided to live somewhere else -They do not live here, they can go if they want -We even do not feel responsibility for each other within the country - they are Hungarian - their situation is not their fault - we have the same ancestors - we should keep together - we should feel responsibility for everybody - they are also influenced by the Hungarian political and financial decisions - I do not know

QUESTION 8) Can they be Hungarian citizens? YES: 38 NO: 7 - they are also Hungarian - why not? can live where they want BECAUSE: - everybody - they do to not live here - if they want belong to us, we should give them the chance of it - no, BECAUSE: - there is athey lawshould about itnot do it - it is so difficult that it isnot worth bothering - only the people living in Hungary are Hungarians

QUESTION 9/A) Who is an EU citizen? Out of 45 students 42 gave a correct answer the question 3 students were wrong (’anybody’) QUESTION 9/B) Are you an EU citizen? 45/45 student identified themselves as an EU citizen. (= everybody) QUESTION 10) Is it good for us?

QUESTION 11) Do you insist on Hungary? YES: 14 „I may go for a while but I definitely will come back” „only my family and friends are important to me here but I still want to stay here” NO: 31 - better living and financial possibilities - you can not make ends meet here - the country will go bankrupt - It could be much worse - I would like to stay but I do not see my possibilities here - politicians make the country show its worst side - I hate living here, there is not anything in Hungary - nothing connects me here, so I would go away but will definitely come back later

CONCLUSIONS: 1) Students can not make difference between nationality- citizenship - residence 2) they do not know what ‘rights’ and ‘obligations’ mean even more they mix them 3. ) For some of them ‘Hungarian minorities living outside the Hungarian borders’ do not mean the groups of people affected by the Trianon treaty. This decision happened too long ago so they do not know anything about it. The nowadays reality (the impossible economic and financial position of the country) is harshly important so it pushes back the other problem deep in their mind. 4. ) They have very negative opinion about their home country but ‘being Hungarian’ is still a meaningful connection for them

Thanks for wathcing! Animations made by: Miklós Szappanos Text made by: Katalin Tibola (teacher), Miklós Szappanos Edited: Katalin Tibola (teacher) Thanks for all those who completed our survey!