The dream of almost 200 pupils from Székelyvarság (Vărșag in Romanian) came true yesterday: their renovated, modern school center was inaugurated on Sunday. From now on, the children of the village from Hargita (Harghita) County will learn in similar conditions as their peers in urban schools; they even have a kitchen and lunchroom, features that are not very common in Romanian schools. The center was renovated with the support of the Hungarian government; all present and future generations will benefit from this gift.
The school was inaugurated on Sunday, starting at mass led by local priest Gellért Jánosi in the parish church, where the community thanked God for the gift.
Local mayor Ernő Tamás said at the official festivity, held in the yard of Kőrösi Csoma Sándor Elementary School, that until recently the renovation of the school was only a dream. But now, the new center is a reality and can be occupied by the students and teachers.
The project started in 2017, when the mayor was looking for funds for the modernization of kindergartens and schools. He spoke with Hungarian MP Gábor Bányai and János Árpád Potápi, Secretary of State for National Policy at the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, and was very surprised when he received feedback from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán himself. The Hungarian Government embraced the dream of the mayor, and with HUF 30 million of support, the renovation of the school started. Later they received significant support from the Romanian Government as well. The total value of the investments is two and a half million lei (EUR 524,000), the mayor stated.
At the festivity, Mayor Ernő Tamás wished for good marks from the students and asked them to stay in their homeland. He also mentioned that the construction of the new – and very unique – ski slope, also financed by the Hungarian Government, is going well.
Secretary of State Potápi underlined, as in previous years, that the main priority of the Hungarian national policy for the upcoming period is to preserve the Hungarian identity and mother tongue and help families to stay in their homeland. The development of the school system, from kindergarten through university, and the economic program for helping families serve this cause, he added.
The principal of the school, Gábor Szász, told Székelyhon.ro that Székelyvarság now has 242 students. He thinks their school is the most modern in the region and hopes that Santa Claus will bring the kitchen equipment. After finishing the kitchen, only the furnishing of the lunch room remains.
Title image: János Árpád Potápi (in the middle) at the official festivity. Photo: Csedő Attila
