Cornélia Zánkay in the Service of Vocational Education of Pécs

„One of the most qualified ladies in the town of Pécs”

Abstract

The aim of the study is to present particular stages of the work of Cornélia Zánkay, who was a dominant figure of secondary trade vocational education and the local social life in the 20th century Pécs. Cornélia Zánkay, or as her students called her Aunt Nelly, took her school-leaving exam in Pécs as a private student, then gained a secondary school teacher degree at the Budapest University, which was followed by a doctoral degree in 1913 – she was the first woman in Pécs to gain it. She became an external lecturer, later a full teacher at the female upper trade school of Pécs, which was opened as a private school in 1911 and was given a publicity right in 1912. From 1920 she was its deputy director, and later became its director in 1923 and managed the school through almost 23 years. By the analysis of the available primary and secondary sources the topic of our research was to map the family background: what was the motive of an official clerk, who had to send both of his daughters to secondary grammar school and then to university to the capital. Furthermore, we are going to review the many roles of Cornélia Zánkay played: her preparation for a medical career and the reason why she chose to be a teacher instead, her position at the female upper trade school of Pécs. We will examine her ideas about the development of the female trade school and its social judgement, about the female (vocational) education considering the French practice-oriented vocational education model as an example, as well as her role engagement in national and local professional organizations, female associations. 

Photo: History Collection of Baranya County Centre of Vocational Training Radnóti Miklós Economic School