The Practice of School Community Service in Monastic Schools II.: The IKSZ-programs of monastic schools in a 10-year perspective

Abstract

This study on the School Community Service (IKSZ) practice in monastic schools attempts to answer the following questions: What are the international ecclesiastical antecedents of the introduction of IKSZ in Hungary? What international examples exist for effective service-learning programs that increase social sensitivity? Since the introduction of community service in 2012, how did the professional support for the program developed in the Hungarian public education system? How did the introduction of IKSZ in 2012 impact the former TESZI program in monastic schools? How did the program change during the COVID pandemic? What are the three models that can be outlined in the practice of monastic schools for the pedagogically effective or less effective use of IKSZ in terms of developing social competences?

There is a narrow circle of monastic schools that introduced the program adopted from the Fényi Gyula Jesuit High School, popularly known as TESZI, even before the introduction of the IKSZ in 2012, and struggled with adaptation, integration with the IKSZ, and the situation during COVID. These schools represent two different models, and the Fényi Gyula path represents a third possible approach. All of this can provide multiple lessons for the public education system as a whole. The following options are outlined: using the program for the development of social competences and using the program for other pedagogical purposes.