The amendment of the Act on higher education, which includes putting the Pető Institute of Conductive Education under state management, will secure the long-term financing of the institute, State Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resources Bence Rétvári said on Wednesday.
It is a basic obligation for all Hungarian governments to guarantee the conditions for the pursuit of education and development work carried out by the Pető Institute.
The Pető method – named after physician and educator András Pető, who developed his conductive educational system for the rehabilitation of motor disordered children – is a “Hungarikum”, the State Secretary underlined, as it is recognised in many countries worldwide. Qualified conductor-teachers are successfully utilising the method in special education institutes around the world.
The budget of the Pető Institute totalled between HUF 1.5 and 2 billion (EUR 4.8 – 6.4 million) in the past. Placing the institute under state management will guarantee, after uncertainty in recent years, the availability of this funding, he said, adding that Parliament would vote on the changes on Friday and they could enter into force as of September 2014.
Rector of Pető Institute Franz Schafhauser confirmed that the institute's senate welcomed the proposed amendment.