Curriculum, subjects, number of lessons

The content of teaching and learning in schools has been governed by a three-tier curriculum regulation since 2000.

The central (top-level) regulation is the National Core Curriculum (NCC), issued by the Government in 2012 and amended several times since then.  (Source: Government Decree 110/2012 (VI. 4.) on the issuance, introduction and implementation of the National Core Curriculum) The National Core Curriculum is a strategic document compulsory for all educational institutions and stakeholders. It provides the ideological-theoretical-philosophical grounds for the main areas of knowledge to be conveyed. Besides, it contains the phases of school education in terms of content and the development tasks that must be fulfilled during the various educational phases.

The second level of content regulation provides support both in terms of curriculum and methodology. The middle level of the system are the framework curricula based on the National Core Curriculum. These framework curricula are issued by the minister responsible for education (Ministry of Human Capacities). Separate general curricula are developed for the 4, 6, and 8-grade upper secondary grammar schools. They determine the contextual regulatory frameworks of grades 5-12, 7-12 and 9-12 respectively.

The pedagogical programme of schools containing the local curriculum and the educational-teaching programme constitutes the third, local level of regulation (source: Act CXC /2011/ on the National Public Education).  The local curriculum is developed independently by school teachers. School-level content regulation documents are adopted by the teaching staff and are subsequently approved by the school maintainers following consultation with experts.

Inevitably, the local curriculum of upper secondary grammar schools has to consider the set of requirements prescribed for secondary school-leaving examinations and the National Assessment of Basic Competences. Both the secondary school-leaving examination and the National Assessment of Basic Competences function as strong content regulators.

National Core Curriculum (NCC)

The National Core Curriculum is „the core document regulating Hungarian school education”. It is a basis for the preparation of framework and local curricula, content of subjects, examination requirements, textbooks and other teaching aids. The National Core Curriculum lies in the fact that it conveys common national values and contributes to the cultivation of national traditions and to the development of a sense of national identity. The National Core Curriculum is issued as a government decree. The core curriculum is revised once in every five years as prescribed by the Public Education Act (Act CXC of 2011 on National Public Education). 

The standardisation of the content of education and the mobility of students between schools are guaranteed by the National Core Curriculum in grades 1-12. The core curriculum also contains the principles of education for students belonging to national or ethnic minorities as well as for students with special needs. Besides, it determines the tasks of schools in the field of health development, environmental consciousness and consumer protection.

Its role played in content regulation, the NCC regulates the content of education until the age of 18 irrespective of the fact that the 2011 Public Education Act reduced the upper limit of compulsory schooling age to 16. The NCC is broken down into three educational phases (grades 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12).

 The proportions of subject areas regarding the rates of the number of lessons in grades 9-10 and grades 11-12 in the NCC issued in 2012 (%). Still used number of lessons and rates in phasing out system.

 * The National Core Curriculum provides only minimum values ​​for the last two grades, in regard to the diversity of training programmes and to the preparation for final exams.

The NCC was revised in 2020. The modified NCC and the related framework curricula will be introduced in a phasing out system from the 9th grade in the Upper Secondary Grammar Schools (from the 7th grade of the six-grade Upper Secondary Grammar Schools).

The recommended time frames for the four-grade grammar schools from 2020 are shown in the following:

Within two-grade cycles, the number of hours specified in the recommendation may be reallocated in the way it is specified in the local curriculum, provided that the maximum number of hours in each grade may not be higher than the specified maximum number of hours. In grades 11 and 12, the students are free to choose from the subjects of the Upper Secondary School leaving examination at the expense of both fixed-term and freely planned lessons.

Framework curricula

The implementation of the principles, goals, development tasks and literacy contents in the National Core Curriculum is guaranteed by the framework curricula prepared according to the specifics of the stages of pedagogical work, which represent the next level of content regulation.

The framework curricula and the content regulations issued by the Minister responsible for Education in 2012 and 2020 for the NCC are available on the website of the Educational Authority.

In the upper secondary grammar schools, courses are designed to provide general knowledge to students and to prepare them for the secondary school-leaving exam, for higher education studies and for entering the labour market. Development requirements, activities and contents determined in the general curriculum of upper secondary grammar schools ensure that students are prepared for the secondary school-leaving exam, for entrance to the labour market or for continuing their studies in a higher education institution.

Framework curricula for upper secondary grammar schools, annual number of lessons (2012):

Art classes in grades 11–12 can be freely used for Music, Visual Culture, Drama and Dance as well as for Film and Media studies.

Note: In grades 9-11, the yearly teaching time is 36 weeks; in grade 12, it is 32 weeks. For example, since the number of Mathematics lessons is 3 in each grade, on a yearly basis, it amounts to 36 x 3=108 lessons in grades 9-11 and 32 x 3=96 lessons in grade 12.

The subject framework curricula, which fits for the NCC amended in 2020, will enter into force in a phasing out system from the 2020/2021 academic year, starting in the 9th grade.

Local curriculum

Professional work is carried out in educational institutions in accordance with the applicable pedagogical programmes which must be approved by the maintainer and made publicly available. The pedagogical programme includes the educational programme consisting of social skills and personality development and the local curriculum, which is the school’s level of content regulation (the lowest level of the three-tier content development system).

The local curriculum always has to be based on a framework curriculum. Schools determine the local curricula drawing on the educational programmes issued by the minister responsible for Education. They adapt a framework curriculum approved by the minister to their own environment. Most institutions select the curriculum elaborated by the Ministry’s background institution. The requirements of entering into the next grade as well as the forms of evaluating and rating/grading students are also regulated in the local curriculum.

Upper secondary grammar schools must adapt their local curricula to the higher levels of regulatory systems (such as the NCC and the selected framework curriculum) by the deadline prescribed by law. Schools may devote an increased number of classes to compulsory subjects at the expense of subjects that can be freely scheduled or subjects that are not compulsory. In addition, schools may introduce completely new subjects but they cannot exceed the weekly maximum number of classes specified in the decree about the workload of students. Secondary schools may also organise optional class activities in line with students’ interests and needs in order to enable them to catch up with their better performing peers or to promote development, talent support, consultation or to impart special or supplementary knowledge elements. In the last two grades of general secondary education (grades 11 and 12), students tend to choose additional classes for themselves from the subjects they will have to take the secondary school-leaving examination from. Usually, these classes represent the fields in which they intend to pursue further studies.

By 31 August 2020, schools had revised their pedagogical curricula to make their local curricula fit for the framework curricula issued in 2020 based on the amended NCC.

During their studies, upper secondary grammar school students have to complete at least 50 hours of community service. It is the object of the secondary school and the responsibility of the head of the institution to organize a school community service. It is a pedagogical tool wherein pupils experience and practice activities (based on their choice) that are good for others and the local community. This service is embedded in a pedagogical process that has a learning purpose and methodology.

Community service is an individual or group activity, which is independent of financial interests, is organized in a social, environmental, non-financial and educational capacity for the benefit of the student's local community (Act CXC of 2011 on National Public Education). School community services include: community, health, social, charitable, educational, cultural, environmental, nature or disaster prevention activities, as well as sports and leisure activities that can be shared with preschool children/pupils with special needs and the elderly.

Teaching methods and educational material

With regard to the methods applied during the teaching and learning process, schools as well as teachers enjoy a high degree of freedom when it comes to the range of applicable procedures. The school’s pedagogical programme, however, determines the basic pedagogical principles of education along with its means and procedures.

In the vast majority of schools, teaching takes place in the framework of 45-minute classes organised by subject. Integrated or cross-curricular structuring of the content appears only sporadically, in the wake of local pedagogical innovations, typically in schools preferring alternative pedagogical approaches.

According to research results, the methodological repertory of teachers is relatively small-scale. During teaching time, frontal instruction is still in use. Differentiated education and the application of info-communication technologies in class is spreading gradually.

Traditionally, teachers attach particular importance to the homework assigned and its regular checking. Students are given homework practically every day. Thus, questioning students about their homework and/or having them write brief tests in class, i.e. oral or written testing of their homework performance is an indispensable part of classes.

Dividing classes mostly into two, less frequently into three groups is a very widely applied practice. Most frequently, this occurs in language classes; basically, it is the rule. Group forming is also frequent in case of subjects such as  physical exercise, where boys and girls are usually trained separately.

Methods focusing on encouraging students’ own activity and promoting creativity instead of simply reproducing the subject matter are also spreading. 

Teaching tools, textbooks

The list of the minimum set of aids and equipment of public educational institutions are set in a ministerial decree from 2012 (source: Decree 20/2012 (VIII. 31.) of the Ministry of Human Capacities  on the Operation of Public Education Institutions and on the Use of Names of Public Education Institutions).

Textbooks continue to be indispensable means of teaching in Hungary. In state-run general secondary schools, teachers mostly use textbooks developed by the Educational Authority. The Minister responsible for public education annually issues a list of textbooks from which teachers can select.

In Hungary, free of charge textbooks are provided for all students. The so-called unconventional content carriers - particularly those based on digital technology - are playing an increasingly important role besides textbooks.

On the portal of the National Public Education, teachers can find tasks, worksheets and methodological ideas they can use in their daily teaching practice, organised by grades and subjects according to the current framework curricula.