Kis Tigris Grammar School

The Kis Tigris (Little Tiger) Grammar School was founded by the Dharma Gate Buddhist Church in 2004. The school works in one of the poorest and the most underdeveloped region of Hungary, in a village called Alsószentmárton where hundred percent of the population is Gypsy who speaks also his own Gypsy language.

The goal of the foundation and the choice of the place is that students – the most of them are Gypsy young people fallen out from the traditional educational system – will be joined forces and the school gives them a chance to get a high-school graduation, marketable profession or further education. The traditional school system calculates on students owning average skills thanks to their family background, or their personal makings, the pedagogic program of “Kis Tigris” aims mainly students living in an isolated community and deep poverty, who didn’t reach the traditional secondary education or flopped there. That’s why our goal is to give a second chance to these Gypsy and also not Gypsy young people. We make an effort to give them a practically useful knowledge that gives them a chance to integrate into the society. Our goal is that students getting high-school graduation or profession in our school will be able to study further or get a job.

The religious and ethical character of the school is based on the Buddhist principles: the solidarity (with our fellow men socially and culturally excluded from the society) and the endeavour to get to know other cultures are really emphasized in our school.

Up to now 500 students got the high-school graduation in the „Little Tiger” Grammar School and more than 80 students were accepted in establishments of higher education /faculty like Buddhist instructor, teacher of Hungarian, teacher of Geography, teacher of Germanic languages, finantial or judicial assistant, police officer, youth aid worker, pedagogy, engineer, IT specialist etc./.
We have very good achievement in the vocational education as well, 70 Gypsy students got village catering graduation. The success of our school and our teachers’ work is shown not only by statistic data, but even the process while students decrease their skill handicap and their lack of learning motivation.

In the future we are planning to extend our vocational education in the day and even in the night school: the village catering avocation (it works already in the school), herb-grower, IT specialist, social worker, toddler nurse, youth aid worker… Our main goal is to train Gypsy people who will be able to employ themselves, who get active, economically self-supporting and useful members of the society.

Contacts:

Phone: +36-72-705-114, 20-355-8607
E-mail: kistigrisgimnazium@gmail.com
Web: www.kistigrisgimi.extra.hu

Centre:
7826 Alsószentmárton, Petőfi u. 4/a.

Education locations:
Komló (7300, Komló, Ifjúság u. 37.), Berkesd (7664 Berkesd, Alkotmány u. 42.)

Further education locations: Komló, Kenderföldi Általános Iskola; Pécs, Apáczai Nevelési Központ Gimnáziuma