There was once a practice-oriented training program plan at the Police Academy (1994-1995)

Abstract

The author of this article was the head of the Police Academy from 1994 to 1996. He used to be a student at the institution himself, graduating with honors called the “red degree”. Then, for seven years, he was a lecturer and scientific researcher at the institution, and he was able to take part in the development and cultivation of a training program called the complex education system. Directly after the change of regime, as the head of the education department of the Ministry of the Interior, he was responsible for reforming law enforcement education and supervising the organizational system dealing with education. His very extensive knowledge and experience gained in these three areas predestined him to “reverse” the previous training system immediately after his appointment as head of the Academy and to implement a practice-oriented training system with a complete paradigm shift instead of what he called speculative curriculum theory training at the Police Academy. His enthusiasm carried him forward for two years unbroken in the realization of his vision. He professed with professional conviction and belief that instead of the previously socialist-type knowledge-based approach, it was necessary to introduce practice-oriented training. The elaboration of the idea and its inclusion in the training program was approved by the Minister of the Interior of that time, with significant recognition. The few months later newly appointed Minister of the Interior confirmed the assignment of the Academy Commander and ordered the proposal to be included in the curriculum. Thus, the innovation work that was started could continue with the cooperation of an enthusiastic team, identical to the idea (including Dr. Gábor Szakács, Dr. László Matei, Dr. Béla Blaskó, István Révész and others) who lined up next to the head of the Academy. The following article presents some of the data of the scientifically based, extensive unpublished empirical research, and the main characteristics of the stations of the creation of a new curriculum. At the end of his writing, the author also discusses the further fate of the curriculum of the new training, of the draft government decree introducing the new curriculum, and of the Academy Commander.