One of our most spectacular and the fastest developing area of science in our age is informatics. The acquisition of the information, its processing, its storage and transmission get bigger and bigger space in our everyday life. The listed activities may be achieved with some technical equipment and objects (e.g. books). Computer is available for us, which according to Neumann principles with its universal problem solving possibility became a widely used information handling equipment. Its echo is a new educational area in National Basic Curriculum, a new subject in Frame Curriculum: computer science.
In our school – like in many schools in Hungary – getting familiar with informatics began in 1980s. ZX-81, PRIMO, ENTERPRISE, COMMODORE computers which make us smile nowadays were obtained from central sources, from offers of the firms of our town and from our own source. The heterogeneous machine park, the absent curricular conditions and the immature teaching methods set teachers a big task in the extra lessons. For interested students there were 2 afternoon lessons a week, many times the hardware was brought by them (disk drive, etc.). They could get acquainted with the usage of the machines in this way. Since these devices used BASIC program language teaching of programming was obvious.
At first, in the school year 1990/91, informatics was integrated into the syllabus of Create and Craft as a correction topic. The students had possibility to learn traffic engineering, home economics or information technology according to their interest. The tracing of the experimental teaching in the county began this school year. We met Schneider Ferenc, who worked in Békéscsaba Centre School, teaching from the syllabus developed by him based on his experimental curriculum.
In the school year 1991/92 teaching computer usage began in a special IT classroom on the ground floor on 9 IBM compatible PC. The informatics module was integrated into the syllabus of Create and Craft in the half of the number of lessons written by Orosz László. Since this time not programming but teaching how to use a computer in practice was aimed.
In the school year 1992 the first class specialized in informatics was launched. They already left primary school and after them in the following grades every class “b” studies computer science in a raised number of lessons. The necessary curriculum was given by APC Studio from Gyula based on their tutorial system. So in classes 1-2 in one lesson a week, and from class 3 in 2 lessons a week children study informatics. After the introduction of the Frame Curriculum computer science teaching with raised number of lessons is based on a permit of application handed in by APC Studio and the launch permit was asked by our school. The students' results reached on national competitions mean: they have the opportunity to learn today’s modern knowledge.
In the meantime "Foundation for the Students of our School” was formed and it contributed the school with another computer room to give background devices of teaching. Since the renovation of our building a third computer room has been serving the students' education.
The curriculum modified in 1994 went through a newer change in 1997: children learn the Windows program from the 5th class, to be able to use programmes in connection with other subjects independently.
It is included in our plans to use the computers in a wider circle: e.g. to apply them for the education of other subjects. In the continuous modernization there is a lot to do for example beside the continuous development of the machine park the usage of the machines spread widely is also our desire.
Classes specialized in ICT attract the young. The computer-aided education acquaints the students with the opportunity and bars of modern technique, develops their problem-solving ability and reading technique. It trains for learning independently and disciplined work; it develops the entrepreneurial view and the personality able to conform to changes.