The project "From Burattino School to becoming an adult" received nearly 550.000 EUR from the Norway Grants to improve and extend the school's educational and living facilities, as well as to implement social integration for severely underprivileged children, especially young Roma and children under state care.
Before the project started, the utilization of the school building and the three children's home were already maxed, and the school had to turn away children that could benefit from attending the institution.
The school was also in poor condition as it had not been renovated the last 15 years due to lack of financial sources. The school's three children's home were also in dire need of renovation.
Extended capacity
With the support from the Norway Grants, the school was renovated, modernized and furnished, and an extension to the school was built. Also, a professional program consisting of an integrated education of children requiring special education, a roma integrating program and a drug-preventive program, were developed. The three children's home were also renovated and equipped, and the school's playground was reconstructed.
During the fall of 2011, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels and the National Focal Point in Hungary visited the school and saw how the reconstructions had turned the school into a modern institute with extended capacity.
During the visit, the Norwegian and Hungarian representatives were greeted by the children at the school's auditorium. After performances from the children, there was a tour of the school and the children homes.
The Burattino school was founded in 1991 in Csepel, the 21 districts of Budapest. At present 270 students in 13 grades, study at the school (1 pre-school grade, 8 elementary grades, 4 secondary grades). The students are mostly underprivileged children who come from a minority sub-culture (Roma) or poverty background. The school "Ullevålsveien" in Oslo, Norway has cooperated in the project with exchange of experience of pedagogical methods.