The Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School (Hungarian: Deák Ferenc Gimnázium, ) is a public, co-educational secondary school located on József Attila sugárút in Szeged in Csongrád-Csanád, Hungary. Founded in 1988, the school teaches through Hungarian and English. As of 2026, the school had approximately 850 pupils enrolled.
School structure It is the youngest secondary educational institution in the city of Szeged. From the beginning, language education served as the main focus of the school in addition to its mission to provide a multifunctional place amidst its surroundings of panel housing estates, hence it leases out the Theater Hall—which can be opened together with the Atrium—for various cultural programs. The school has been participating in the debate forum called European Classes since 1997, it is the member of the initiative PUSCH (Schools: Partners of the Future), and that of the DSD program since 2008. The rate of acceptance to higher education is 89-90%.
Students within the Hungarian-English bilingual program have a higher number of classes in English. Furthermore, for them, the language of education concerning mathematics, biology, geography and history (both Hungarian and world history) is English. Throughout their four years of learning, these courses are complemented by a special English conversation class with native speakers, and by the same token a so-called civilization class is offered from 11th grade. The school has a wide range of international connections, thus bilingual students (along with those of the special English program) and students of the special German program have the opportunity to participate in exchange programs with Brooks School in North Andover, United States, and with Eleonorenschule in Darmstadt, Germany, respectively.
History
By the end of the 1980s, the leadership of Szeged had realized the altering tendencies that higher and higher percentages of students ought to be provided secondary education. In the spirit of the aforementioned situation, the Executive Committee of the Municipal Council of Szeged stipulated in 1985 that a new high school be built in the area marked by Anyagod Street and József Attila Boulevard (22,740 yd2), of which István Novák, architect of Csomiterv Ltd. was appointed. He designed a multifunctional school with 24 class-rooms, with abilities to be used for various occasions, and with enrollment capacity of 800-1000 students. On August 1, 1988, the general contractor announced the end of construction, and the faculty started to move in.
Three choices were given to the Board of Teachers to decide whom the school should be named after : Kunó Klebensberg who served as Member of Parliament for Szeged from 1920, Minister of the Interior and later on as Minister of Religion and Culture Mihály Károlyi, the first Prime Minister then President of the First Republic of Hungary Ferenc Deák, the so-called Sage of the Nation who orchestrated the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.
Count Kunó Klebensberg was soon declared out of the contest given the difficult pronunciation of his name and it eventually ended in a draw between the two other alternatives. Dr. László Kovács, the first principal (1987–1992), avowed—with the intention to resolve the situation—that his vote counts as two, hence the name Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School came into being. It was a decision that the Municipal Council did not want to accept, therefore the principal applied to Tibor Czibere, the then Minister of Education of the People's Republic of Hungary for help. Not until this event did the name become official.
Given the institution's focus on foreign languages, it was Mark Palmer, former United States Ambassador to Hungary (1986–1990) who was asked to inaugurate the school. In the year of the opening, Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School and the Embassy of the United States Budapest cooperated on a weekly basis so that even Frank Press, President of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences paid a visit in the school; what is more it was in the same year when the exchange program between Deák and Brooks School in Massachusetts was launched. The school continued to keep its connections to foreign affairs later on as well, hence upon the visit of the German Ambassador to Hungary, every student was provided free visas to the late West-Germany.
The first principal, Dr. László Kovács considered equipping the school and filling it with teachers and students to be his prime duty. During his principalship, he procured 64 televisions, two class-rooms of computers, 42 sets of skiing equipment and installed a studio so as to enrich the school. He employed several former teachers from Ságvári High School while the students were from Radnóti Miklós High School, Tömörkény István High School and Ságvári High School. Even though these students started in their old schools, they pursued their education in the new institution. Accordingly, the first two Hungarian-English bilingual classes spent their freshman year in Radnóti; however, under the aegis of Deák's new Board of Teachers. In those days, there were only three foreign languages besides English which could be learned—Italian, Spanish and German—prior to the introduction of French in 1989. In 1991 the school launched its "6-year high school" programIn the 1990s numerous Hungarian secondary educational institutions started to offer a"6-year high school" program according to which parents were allowed to send their children to high school in 6th grade. For more informations see: Education in Hungary onto which Deák focused more and more attention; moreover, in the very same decade the palette of education was complemented with a new program in which students had a higher number of literature and history lessons and with special language programs.
Principal Dr. József Kovács preeminently aimed at maintaining the "6-year high school" program. During his principalship the institute was a nationally noted high school reaching number 13 on the list of best high schools in Hungary and later on as well it was in the best 40. With the financial support of Soros Foundation, Deák was able to furnish its first computer laboratory and in 1995 it established another classroom with an up-to-date network of computers.
In the academic term of 1998/1999, the new Computing and Informatics Program became available along with the Special German one, which were followed by the Special Spanish Program in 2001 and the Special English program in 2004. Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2008, commemorating which a week-long set of events was organized in Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School.
Namesake It is named after Ferenc Deák, a famous 19th-century Hungarian politician who is also known as the Sage of the Nation.
Curriculum
Hungarian-English Bilingual program Distinguishing code01Length of study4 years In the Hungarian-English Bilingual program—present since the opening of the school—has started among the first such programs in Hungary. Students in this program learn English on an advanced level throughout their four years of high school, and have special English Conversation classes with either American or British native speakers so as to practice the language orally and to improve conversation skills. Five subjects are thought in English: Mathematics, History (9th-12th grade) Geography (9th-10th grade) Biology (10th-12th grade) Civilization (11th-12th grade)During Civilization classes students learn about the history, literature, geography, administration, political and every-day life of Anglophone countries around the globe. Admissions to the bilingual program generally happens on a regional scale and requires the central entrance examination to be complemented with an oral examination in English. Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary visited Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School in November 12, 2010, and expressed encomiums on the remarkable fluency the program provides for students.
Pupils in the Hungarian-English Bilingual program and those of the Special English program have the opportunity to apply for exchange with Brooks School which started in 1989 and in the frames of which approximately four students are given scholarship to this private school of North Andover, Massachusetts. Following this near three month exchange, the participants have to host the American students coming to Hungary.
The same groups of students can apply for European Classes, an English language debate forum in which the institution has been participating since 1994. Participants—imitating the European Parliament —discuss topics concerning the continent's economical and political hardships while connecting to other institutions' regularly attending students from Romania, Denmark and Germany thus becoming acquainted with their cultures.
Special German program Distinguishing code05Length of study4 years
The Special German program is in accordance with the German DSD program (Deutsches Sprachdiplom) meaning after the end of their secondary education, students receive their language certificates from the German Federal Republic herself, which enables them not to have to be required to take a special German entrance exam when applying to a German university. The objective of the aforementioned program is to ensure a solid background in the knowledge of the German language and culture for students of non-German school, which later on could help them to acquire job and to pursue their education in Germanophone countries. Pupils learn German on an advanced level; and furthermore, they are aided by a native teacher to practice orally and to develop high fluency.
Soccer Academy program Distinguishing code10Length of study4 years
The special class of Soccer Academy is consistent with the general curriculum of sport schools and was born to provide a sufficient basis for its players who wish not to solely concentrate on their sport achievements but on their advanced education as well. The conception of the program arose in the spring of 2007—nevertheless, such initiatives were considered in the past as well— thus in September 2008 the school enrolled its first class in this program. The team received the titles "Best Association Football Team of The City of Szeged" and "Best Association Football Team of Csongrád County"; moreover, they came second in the semi-final of the National Student Olympics within the same year. Admission to this program generally happens on a regional scale during which applicant have to take the central entrance examination along with a sport aptitude test. In order to guarantee the level of professional training, Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School called for tighter cooperation with Tisza Volán SC Youth Division and KÉSZ Soccer Academy Endowment.
Motion Picture Culture and Media program Distinguishing code09Length of study4 years
It is the declared aim of Deák Ferenc Bilingual High School to provide a qualification for students enrolled in this program with the help of which they can examine the stream of information of the contemporary era through a critical perspective. Apart from the national entrance examination, applicants to this program are required to go through an oral examination for which they have to prepare from five classical films—chosen from the list stipulated by the school—and from two arbitrary ones. They are expected to examine these from both a narrative point-of-view and from film technological point-of-view as well; moreover, the application procedure includes a discussion concerning media history and contemporary media events. Concerning the National Secondary School Academic Competition, students of the Motion Picture Culture and Media program have always reached the Top 9 with their project works between the academic years of 2004/2005 and 2009/2010.
Other programs