Szovat's education, the Unitarian School

From the beginning the Unitarian congregation placed a significant importance for the top-class education, for building schools. Presumable the Sukys with the owner's supporting from Szovat the school was opened in the XVI.th century. The first data was from 1693. when the people detained the master. In the XVII.th century the religious conflicts were also manifested in school. At that time the reformats went to Unitarian school but the religious divergences made them establish a new school. In XVIII.th century Mary Teresa and Joseph the second helped on the education. From this period dates back the first official data about the education in Szovat. In evidence from 1794 Zoltan Istvan schoolmaster complained about neglecting: near wheat at that time he had to get also bread. The examination from 1794 related a top-class education. The Calvinist evidence related that because of lack of master from their side some of reformat people sent their children to Unitarian school and " from children's ABC the Holy Trinity was pulled  out”. The next data was about Csedo Istvan schoolmaster from 1806., who complained about his currency and the congregation complained also for the absences of master. Csedo Istvan was buried in  1809.   Szabo Istvan was the schoolmaster after Csedo Istvan. The examination from 1814 related that education became weaker again,   in   1819 was a new complanning to the schoolmaster's address, that "he didn't keep school" and the schoolmaster blamed the parents for mistake. The deepest point was in 1883 " there were just 3 boys in the school and no girls "

The next known teachers were Molnar Miklos ( 1836), Halmagyi Janos (1845). and Roth Ferenc (1854).

The situation was not  even after the revolution  good.   In   1869 there was also a reciprocal reproach. In 1874 from 34 boys just 21 and from 30 girls just 22 went to school. The proportion was already good but the level was weak. In 1885 was placed the public school, so the Unitarian school closed down.

From 1884 the cantor-teaching prize letter was at congregation's disposal:

- 750 kg  wheat alter every boy    

- 10 Kr.( hungarian money) after every boy

- 9 acre plowed land and 1 acre land on field for haymaking.

- 20 Kr. from every child

- singing on funerals: 106 forint

In 1803 the Unitarian Church beside a contract gave 1-acre allotment opposite to church - to the Hungarian State for using the field 40 years with the condition that on that field they would build a stoned school. In school would teach a Unitarian cantor-teacher and he would maintain the hungarian language. In 1896 this was realized: Elek Kovacs was teacher and cantor, too. None of rural schools except the school from Banfyhunyad surpassed the school in Szovat. Till the war more than 100 Unitarian, 80 Reformed, 50 Greek Catholic, 35 Orthodox went to school. In 1919-1920 was no schooling. In 1920 began the governmental education. The state gave 40000 lei (money) for stopping the contractual relation. In 1921 started the denominational education. The school's famous cantor-master Marton Benczedi among the education taught children bee keeping and growing fruits. To his name was connected also the forming of school co-operative in the course of "Ant" in Nagyenyed (pupils got school equipment in self-supporting way).   By Antonya Mihaly's valuation from all schools this was the best.  The school nationalization from 1948 the Unitarian school merged with public school with its movable and real estate possession.