Short school history and the buildings
The Balassa Balint Secondary Vocational and Vocational Training School of Economics of the Training Centre Tatabanya was created merging two institutions with long-standing traditions in Esztergom.
The Secondary Vocational and Vocational Training School of Trade and Catering took up the name of Balint Balassa in 2004. Its predecessor was established back in 1955.
In the same year, the Berzeviczy Gergely Ecomonomical Secondary Vocational School, which was founded in 1911 moved into the Northern Canonical row of houses (which was under renovation at the time).
These two schools were merged in 2005, still working in two separate buildings.
Old “trader” classes continuously moved to the building under renovation, which was completed finally in 2008. This formed one of the most dominant training institutes of the region. Education here covers the fields of economics; administration; commerce and marketing, business administration and tourism and catering.
In the building, there are 31 classrooms, 5 group rooms, 5 IT classrooms, 2 language labs, 2 waiter and 2 commercial practise cabinets and a deposit library.
In 2015 the school became the member institute of Training Centre Tatabanya operated by the Ministry for National Economy.
Outside the main building, the school has two premises. One of them is the training kitchen converted from the cooking-kitchen of Jozsef Attila Primary School. This development began in 2009 and was completed by the end of 2012. This project was realized by EU-funding, ensuring high-level, EU-conform training. The gym (which needs to be renovated) placed next to the school building is small sized, but its neighbouring place would be ideal for the school.
Human infrastructure
In the institution nearly 800 students learn in regular form, about 70 people take part in professional training in cross-semester evening school courses.
A total of 86 people take part in the teaching-educational work. From that, 57 persons are teachers (2 master teachers, 2 experts of public education, 7 have expert exam).
The work of the director is assisted by three deputies (a general, a vocational and an educational) and a director of the practical training.
Pedagogical work is directly supported by two school secretaries and two system administrators.
The number of technical staff is 11. Two economic administrators, a technical manager, a maintenance worker, two maintenance-porters and 5 cleaners.
System of education
From the 2016/2017 academic year the new education system consisting of vocational high schools and vocational grammar schools was introduced in phasing-out system.
Earlier vocational trainings were replaced by 3+2 year long vocational high schools.
In the first three years students learn their chosen professions (shop assistant,waiter, chef and confectioner).
The professional training is realized in dual education system: during the 9th class in the practise cabinets of the school, and then in the workplaces.
After taking their professional exams, students could prepare for the matura examinations.
From four subjects they have to take exams, they are exempted from the fifth on the basis of their professional qualification.
Vocational grammar schools replaced the old secondary vocational schools.
In the first, longer phase of 4+1 year-long training, students take part in general education, theoretical and practical professional training. Thus, after the completion of requirements, they get a matura examination degree and a secondary level profession. With studying one more year this can be developed to a more advanced level by getting a technician qualification.
Students, who do not have vocational baccalaureate, also have the opportunity to join the advanced level training, and in their case it is 2 years long. In the school, within the frames of faculty of economics we have Business and payroll administrator and Financial and bookkeeping assistant courses, in the administration faculty Office secretary; in commerce and marketing, business administration the Merchant, and in tourism and catering faculty Catering manager and Tourist guide professions can be chosen.
Traditions, programs
The new building resolved one of the most important problems of the two schools: now it has a dedicated banquet hall for festives, demonstration lessons; exhibitions of artists and non-governmental organizations.
Traditionally, annual events are the Balint Balassa Poetry Competition, the Student’s Day, the White Rose Ball, Hagelmayer commemoration, the Preparation for Advent and Bustle of Advent, Christmas Celebration, March 15th Commemoration, School-leaving ceremony, Ceremony of October 23-26.
Last year for the first time the school joined the Lessons of Archives and Digital Theme Week events, which are also planned to become traditions. A tradition-creating program of this academic year is to join to the Sustainability Week.
April of 2016, again for the first time the school took part in the Night of Professions, where jointly with other two schools of the Vocational Training Centre presented their educated professions in an enjoyable way.
During the open day of National Tax and Custom Administration, the representers are invited to hold lectures and presentations of their professional field, and help those interested in electronic administration of taxation.
Exhibitions and competitions
Inspired by the teachers of the school, our students regularly take part in cultural events, exhibitions and competitions held locally or in other towns.
So pupils often visit the regular and periodical exhibitions of Esztergom Castle Museum of the Hungarian National Museum, the Christian Museum, the Balassa Museum of the HNM, the Archives and the Danube Museum.
They are returning visitors of the dramapedagocical performances of Nyitott Kor, as well as the exhibitions of the Museum of Trade and Tourism and House of Terror in Budapest.
Apart from its own Balint Balassa Poetry Competition, students also take part in the Historical Poetry Competition of Jozsef Mindszenty Catholic Primary School, as well in Istvan Gyurcso Poetry Competition in Garamkovesd year by year. The school also takes part in the three rounds of Values of Komárom-Esztergom County competition organised by the Komárom-Esztergom County Municipality.
The Youth Disaster Recovery Contest is organised every spring at Lake Palatinus, where our school represents itself with teams of four.
Students are usually in the top ten in the national Ilona Zrinyi Math Competition as well as in the International Kenguru Math Competition. The English Language Competition (ELC) was announced for the first time in the 2016/17 academic year, where our students were also entered.
As for contests related to economic subjects, the school annually takes part in the interactive Departmental and Non-departmental Professional Baccalaureate Subjects Competition (earlier: Trade group Pre-vocational Baccalaureate Subjects Tournament –SZÉTV) organized for the 12th grade students from theoretical economics, business administration basics, commerce and catering subjects. The typing competition connected to the field of business administration is held annually in Komarom, where students from other schools of the Training Centre compete including the Kultsar School as host of the event. The Aladar Teoreok national student typist competition held by the Hungarian Association of Stenographers and Typists is a nationwide event.
Since 2013, the starting year of Money Star National Secondary School Financial-Economic Competition the school has always entered 4-person teams for the challenge.
The Youth Disaster Recovery Contest is organised every spring at Lake Palatinus, where our school represents itself with teams of four.
Sport events
Students, who are interested in sports, regularly take part in sport events with the help of PE teachers.
One example for that is the Bridge Run, which has been held annually since 2001, when the Maria Valeria bridge was rebuilt.
Students also participate in the Memorial Relay Run to commemorate the Thirteen Martyrs of Arad.
The school is also involved in national relay races. Participants of Drug-free Hungary Marathon run across the country in 42 days touching the city of our school.
The Country Recruiting Run of Hungarian Army Draft Agencystarts and ends in Budapest and touching more than 200 towns including Esztergom as well.
The Lajos Csabai Indoor Football Cup has been organised in the Tibor Pézsa Sports Hall since 2009. The tournament has rounds in fall and spring with our school representing itself with a team each year. City Hall Rugby Tournament is also held here twice a year. The Santa Claus Cup in December and also the February tournament where the school is also involved. The latter two events are organized by the Esztergom Vitezek Rugby AFC, just like the Outdoor City Rugby Tournament.
Another event in the city the Futsal Olympiad of Association for Youth Sports of Esztergom City, where in the indoor soccer tournament the 5 and 6th age group students of the school also enter. The Girl’s Volleyball Olympiad is the joint tournament of the association and Dobo Katalin High School, where girls of the same age groups teams compete representing different schools from Esztergom. A similar volleyball competition is held for boys in the Saint Elisabeth High School, organized the school itself and AYSEC. The school also yearly takes part in the volleyball championship of Saint Elizabeth Cup organized for girls and boys held in Esztergom.
On county level, the Training Centre Tatabanya in its forming year launched the Centre Cup for its secondary vocational schools and vocational schools of the centre.
For the autumn and spring turn of the Fair Play High School Football Tournament Cup(initiated by Hungarian Football Federation) the PE teachers register the pupils too.
Also the event of AYSEC the Student Swimming Championship Cup Competition. Our students have received medals both in individual and relay swimming.
Our students are competing with our school teams in the Esztergom Baths-Aqua Island Beach Volleyball Championship too.
Water sport enthusiasts in the end of April and May can take part in the Boat Procession (organizer: Association of Sailors of Esztergom) and in the Inter-school Dragon Boat Championship (Esztergom Kayak-Canoe Sports Association) on the Little Danube.