2021
Renewal of the general requirements of upper secondary school leaving exams
The content reform of the Hungarian public education has been followed by the renewal of the general requirements of upper secondary school leaving exams after that the curricular revisions had completed. The main change -made after comprehensive consultations and in line with the new implications of the framework curricula published in 2020- is that the exams in several subjects require more creativity and individual problem solving (e.g: project work). The new regulation will take effective in a phasing in system, exams remain same until the autumn fall in school year 2023/24.
COVID-19 testing of staff members in kindergarden and schools
Kindergarden and school staff members had the opportunity to ask for free COVID-19 rapid testing in November 2020 and in January 2021 due to a government decision. 20 744 employees took it in January 2021.
Children living with diabetes get help in public education institutions
The recent modifications of the Public Education Act have stipulated the organisation of appropriate daytime health care provision for children living with diabetes. Institution heads are responsible for it in their institutions. This may mean that the appointed person assists in testing blood glucose level and giving insulin, also takes special care of the alimentation of children with diabetes. Persons taken charge get extra allowance. In addition, children with diabetes will be helped to fully participate in school sport activities, with this in mind professional trainings will be also organized for teachers and professionals in sports.
Public education and cultural institutions maintained by local ethnic minority governments are supported
1.356 billion HUF is allocated to support public education and cultural institutions maintained by local ethnic minority governments due to a government decision. In 2010 five public education institutions were under the auspicies of ethniv minority governments, now the number is 66. The grant for infrastructure has been given to 60 institutions of 49 maintainers in 13 counties.
2020
Digital schooling
The School Education Act authorizes the minister responsible for the field to introduce digital schooling in a ministerial decree. The decree shall specify the grades, the period, the student access and the rules of supervision. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Ministry responsible for education and the Educational Authority involving the operative board in charge of coordinating the response to the pandemic follow the epidemiological data of public education institutions day by day. The ministry and the Authority make daily decisions about introducing shorter extraordinary breaks or out of classroom-digital schooling in case of the public education institutions jeopardized by the present pandemic. Due to this response, longterm institution closures have been avoided since September 2020. Only those institutions were closed for a couple of days or their digital home schooling was introduced where the necessity had been proved by epidemiological data. As a result, the continuity of education has been assured so far.
National Core Curriculum and Frameworks
The new National Core Curriculum (NCC) was published with significant modifications to the Government Decree of 2012, and framework curricula – basing on this new curriculum – have been developed. The changes take effect in grades 1, 5 and 9 from the school year 2020/2021.
NCC combines the most modern and successful international pedagogical practices with the traditions and values of the Hungarian education and strengthens students’ national identity.
The new framework curricula are based on modern pedagogical and methodological principles, the development of certain areas of competence is more prominent and the content of the curriculum is more up-to-date.
The new regulation also affects the textbook development, teacher training, in-service teacher training and maturity exam requirements.
Private student status
From September 2019, the private student status was replaced by the individual work schedule. All concerned status will be revised within one year at the latest, and instead of the school itself, the Educational Authority will be responsible for the authorization of the individual work schedules.
Students with individual work schedules should be exempted from all compulsory school activities. The head of the instituion - in which the student was previously enrolled - shall determine the time and (in accordance with the teaching staff) the manner in which the student’s knowledge is accounted for.
2019
Free textbooks
As a result of the amendment to the Public Education Act, as of 1 September 2020, the state will ensure that textbooks are available free of charge to the students participating in full-time public education.
’Let’s teach for Hungary’ – a programme for social inclusion and sensitization
Objectives of the programme:
- help pupils of primary and lower-secondary schools living in small settlements successfully complete their studies,
- enhance mutual care and belonging to a community.
HE students mentor pupils of grade 7 within the programme. The HE students participating in the programme are granted 30 000 HUF per month. If a mentored pupil progresses well, his/her student mentor can be further granted.
The ’Let’s teach for Hungary’ programme has been running for a year and a half and it helped the pupils of 38 small settlements socialize, study and consider career choices.