The State of Education in the Cistibiscan Reformed Church District in the 1850s

Abstract

In Hungary, following the suppression of the War of Independence of 1848–49, the Viennese government sought to regulate all areas of school life. At the same time, it also aimed to develop education; therefore, the Organisationsentwurf, originally devised for Austrian schools, was introduced in Hungary as well. Nevertheless, it was met with protest, as its implementation took place without consulting those concerned and without regard for conditions in Hungary, ecclesiastical laws, and financial realities. In essence, the entire educational system had to be restructured, which imposed a heavy financial burden on schools, since only those institutions could issue state-recognized certificates that obtained the right of public instruction and complied with the regulations of the Entwurf. In the Cistibiscan church district, not a single school succeeded in achieving this, partly due to financial difficulties and partly because of political expectations and the enforced teaching of the German language. At the same time, increasing attention was directed toward the development of elementary education, both by the state and by the church district. In addition to numerous regulations, this is also evidenced by the establishment of the teacher training college in Sárospatak during this period.