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= The Petrik Lajos Bilingual Vocational School of Chemistry, Environmental Protection and Information Technology = The Petrik Lajos Bilingual Vocational School of Chemistry, Environmental Protection and Information Technology is in the 14th district (Zugló) of Budapest. The school is one of the oldest vocational schools in the capital. The more than 130-year-old institution has always played an important part in the vocational education of not only the capital but the whole country, as well.

The location of the school
The school is situated in a part of the city which is rich in historical traditions and edifices. Right next to the school is the ‘Queen of Rosary’ Parish Church, erected between 1912 and 1915, the bell of which reminds the teachers and the students alike of the exact time every noon. The secessionist building of the Hungarian Geological Institute, built between 1898 and 1899 according to the plans of Ödön Lechner, can be seen from the school windows. The Heroes’ Square, part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, is only a short walking distance from the school.

The history of the school
The State Vocational School of Budapest opened its gates for students on 7th December, 1879. Catering the needs of industry, the school offered vocational training in mechanical engineering, architecture and chemistry. The first building of the school was at 4. Bodzafa Street (today’s Gutenberg Square). In 1889, the school moved to a new building complex, designed by Alajos Hauszmann, on the corner of József Avenue and Népszínház Street. The first headmaster was Károly Hedegűs, who led the institution for 35 years. Today the building complex is the home of the Bánki Donát Faculty of Mechanical and Safety Engineering of Óbuda University. In 1898 the school was renamed Hungarian Royal State Upper Vocational School. The four fields of vocational training included mechanical engineering, chemistry, steel and iron industrial training and timber industrial training. Lajos Petrik, whose name our school bears today, was one of the teachers of the school from 1880 and later its headmaster between 1905 and 1914. His life was marked by open-mindedness towards the challenges of science, art and nature. He was a teacher, a scientist, a ceramist, an art-collector and an avid nature-lover at the same time. The past, the present and the future of our school is based on the versatility, the acceptance and the inheritance of values characterized by his personality. In 1940, the chemistry vocational training moved to the school building at 48. Thököly Road. This building is its home up to this day. During World War II, the building suffered serious damages. It was hit by bombs 26 times. However, the equipment vital to the functioning of the school was packed and hidden in a safe place by the students and the teachers. The school was renamed Petrik Lajos Technical School in 1954, on the 75th anniversary of the foundation of its predecessor in title. The main profile of the institution was the training of chemists for more than a century. The quality of training in the school gave the institution a national recognition and the professionals leaving the school have always been sought after on the labour-market. The school became Petrik Lajos Vocational School of Chemistry in 1970. In 1974, the school was expanded with the new building at 54. Thököly Road. The 1990s brought significant changes in the educational structure of our school. Realizing the changes in the economic and social environment, the school started training technicians in the fields of environmental protection and information technology, as well. Hungary’s accession to the European Union offered new possibilities in foreign language education. Seizing the opportunity, the school management started bilingual classes. Reflecting the new training structure, our school’s name has been Petrik Lajos Bilingual Vocational School of Chemistry, Environmental Protection and Information Technology since 2004. Since 1st July 2015, the school’s official name has been Petrik Lajos Bilingual Vocational School of Chemistry, Environmental Protection and Information Technology of the Vocational Training Centre of Budapest.

Principles
The school plays an important part in the vocational education, higher vocational education and the training of technicians of Budapest and the whole country, as well. Its crucial vales include keeping the traditions, facing the challenges of the 21st century, being European citizens and passing down the European culture and the environmentally conscious behavior. The students can acquire the professional practice and theory of their field of science in modern, well-equipped classrooms, laboratories, IT rooms and industrial practice workshops both in the Hungarian and the English language. The school is dedicated to support its students’ professional careers. A great effort is put in the professional development of the brightest students but the improvement of students with different learning disabilities is also one of the objectives of the school. This process starts in the junior year and continues up to the beginning of the students’ professional career. The students finish with great results in Mathematics, natural science or vocational competitions both at regional and national level every year. The school is universally accessible for physically disabled, blind and visually impaired people. Several physically disabled students are studying at the institution. They are equal members of the student community.

Famous former students
The school has always taken it seriously to help nurture its students’ varied skills and talents and to provide a higher level of general knowledge along with the widely recognized vocational training. This made it possible that many of its students became successful in various fields in their lives. Famous former students include:
 * Péter Nádas - writer
 * László Kovács - former Secretary of State, former Commissioner of the European Commission
 * Géza Oberfrank - conductor of the Hungarian Opera House
 * Csaba Ötvös - opera singer
 * Ferenc Demjén - singer, songwriter
 * György Korda - singer

Ongoing projects funded by the European Union
It has always been important to the school to establish and maintain international relationships in order to give the students the opportunity to broaden their perspective and deepen their knowledge. The school has established long-term partnerships with schools from 13 member states of the European Union from Portugal to Bulgaria, as well as from Turkey.

The “Math Around Us” project runs between September 2015 and August 2017 with the participation of 8 countries. Besides Hungary, Romania, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Lithuania and Greece take part in the project, the aim of which is to develop the Mathematical and foreign language skills of 13-18 year-old students. It also gives them the opportunity to see the extent to which Mathematics influences our lives.

The “Green School” project runs between September 2015 and August 2017 with the participation of 6 countries. Besides Hungary, schools from Italy, Germany, Spain, Croatia and Poland take part in the project. The age of the students involved in the project is 16 – 18. The project aims at involving students in understanding the role that herbs have always had in man's life from the point of view of food and medicine. It also wants to introduce the students to the customs associated with the use of medicinal herbs in the popular traditions of the European countries involved in the project.