As part of the Let Us Teach for Hungary program, university students will help 7th and 8th grade students to reach their full learning and career potential.
The mentoring program is due to kick off this September and interest has already been shown from a number of universities, including the University of Debrecen. More than 300 students will be put through an initial training course and will then be placed with students up and down the country.
Let Us Teach for Hungary program brings a new approach to mentoring and targets students in small communities. The program aims to help students to achieve what they are capable of based on their talent, whether they are in the field of vocational education, higher education, sports or arts.
At the launch of the mentoring program on Monday, László György, State Secretary for Economic Planning and Regulation at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, mentioned two experiences to justify the launch. On the one hand, 14-year-olds living in small settlements find it difficult to leave their usual environment, changing school can easily "cause trauma". On the other hand, the results of students who are mentored by someone only a few years older can improve their results by 15-20 percent.
In the first round, the program will be launched in four counties - Baranya, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Hajdú-Bihar – in 50 selected primary schools.