Alternatív Közgazdasági Gimnázium

The school has given up the traditional instruments of institutional regulation, including house rules, systems of punishment and reward.

Hungarian students in public education are in high school for 6 and 4 years respectively, depending on when they started, with everybody graduating in 12th grade.

The purpose of this period is to provide students with basic education in a wide variety of subjects, to ensure literacy and familiarity in any field they may go into later.

Briefly summarized, the epoch system allows students to focus on specific subjects for extended periods of time.

After three weeks, they would write the end of unit test and move on to literature and science epochs.

Students of AKG pick the name of their community, so they aren't categorized into sterile, alpha-numerical systems.

School doesn't start immediately with classes, instead, there is an opening activity every day.

This acts as a buffer zone between classes and home life, so students don't just drop into a busy environment.

This can be discussing important world news, upcoming school events, playing a game, or anything else that engages the students but isn't related to the curriculum.

In the final period, AKG shifts back to traditional 45-minute classes, because there is no time for the deep engagement of epochs, as the students are working on their "maturity exam", the points of which are used when applying to higher education at home and abroad.

In the first few years, students work on short term projects that last 1–3 weeks, either alone or in groups.

Students must perform original research, assemble materials (such as letters and photographs) and create an in-depth documentation of the history of their family in the 20th century.

The second year-long project, during the language year, is freely chosen by the students (but approved by the patrons).

Family and friends are usually not allowed to be mentors, to ensure that they don't do the project instead of the student.

AKG has a robotics club, renowned in Hungary for its great success in many competitions.

Students can also work with more advanced robotics platforms, such as Arduino, ESP, Micro:Bit and Lego EV3.

One at the start of the school year, one a week before winter break, two during spring, and one in June.

There are recurring themes, such as the science-themed natural excursions, and some are one time, such as visiting a rural village.

Students leave the LS for things like clubs and classes that require special equipment (music, P.E., science, etc.)

There are several comforts offered to guests, such as a room-sized wardrobe for coats and a snack shop run by students.

"Secret Santa" is popular with young students, but the older members of AKG prefer less scripted holidays and usually don't bother with gifting AKG has been transitioning to digital education for many years, so the switch to long-distance schooling in March 2020 was easier than for most but not without hurdles.

In September, special protocols were developed to ensure that as much time could be spent in school as possible, while also containing infections locally.

In November 2020, AKG went into permanent lockdown following government mandates, and such restrictions lasted until nearly the end of the school year in May 2021.

However, by September, more than 95% of the student population and 98% of the staff had been fully vaccinated, leading to more lenient protocols.

As of September 2021, the government of Hungary has no official COVID-19 restrictions regarding education, so everything AKG does is self-imposed.