Debrecen4U May 26, 2025

The 75th anniversary of the Petőfi School was celebrated with a grand gala show

At the event, the institution’s former and current students and teachers brought the school’s three-quarters of a century of history to life with musical and dance performances, and the values, traditions, and plans of the Petőfi School appeared on stage.

The newscaster of the fictional television of the Petőfi Sándor Primary School and Primary Art School in Debrecen made an unusual broadcast on May 23, 2025. The institution prepared a special festive edition for the 75th anniversary of its founding. Among others, former Petőfi students who completed their primary school studies here and then returned to their beloved school as teachers were invited to the special ceremony. One of the central motifs of the ceremony was the bond between the Petőfi students spanning generations, the “Petőfi spirituality.” In the three-quarters of a century since the school was founded, more than 8 thousand students have studied at the institution, who received a lasting foundation to start their lives.

“We celebrate a common journey with outstanding people whose spirit still floats within these walls. A common journey with the more than 8 thousand students who moved on from the Petőfi School and built their lives,” the school’s director general, Julianna Komáromi, emphasised.

235 people took to the stage in the large-scale school program. Musical and dance performances gave the audience an overview of the institution’s history from its beginnings to the present day. The Petőfi School and its traditions of different eras came to life on stage.

In her welcoming speech, Deputy Mayor Diána Széles said that communities similar to those of Petőfi give Debrecen its soul. 

In his speech, Member of Parliament László Pósán emphasised that the programme faithfully represented the values ​​represented by the poet who gave it its name. “If there is a school in the country today where Petőfi, the poet, and all the positive values ​​and content associated with him can be embodied in the current generations, it is here,” he said.

The Petőfi Sándor Elementary School is also characterised by its permanence: it has been led by three principals for over 75 years. According to the director of the Debrecen School District Centre, László Türk, this continuity and the dedicated work of the principals are one of the keys to the school’s success. “It is incredible to think that three principals have served this institution’s education mission over the past 75 years. This is not the case in all institutions. Those who have dedicated a significant part of their professional lives to this institution might have felt that the school was their second home,” he explained. 

At the end of the ceremony, the local government and the school district presented the school management with a certificate and a commemorative plaque to mark the anniversary.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu