President of Hungary: New law on teachers’ careers ensures ‘operational public education’

The law adopted by parliament on teachers’ career path is materially different from the draft legislation at the root of recent protests in Hungary, President Katalin Novák said on Thursday.

In a statement published on the website of the president’s office, Novák said she signed the bill into law last Friday.

Many controversial points of the original bill, which gave rise to protests, have been omitted or significantly changed, she said.

“The content of this law is different from the [draft] that caused the protests. I have studied the text and considered the legislative intent behind the law on teachers’ career paths, and decided that the new law ensures an operational public education, sets up a clear framework and lays the groundwork for wage raises,” Novák said.

Hungary needs “confident young people with competitive knowledge and stable values,” Novák said. That requires “committed, well-performing, highly regarded teachers” and quality education, she said. “There are a number of important issues requiring a solution, such as teachers’ wage hikes, and raising the profession’s prestige in society,” she added.

She called on domestic and European Union political players to help the government access the resources necessary for substantial wage hikes.

Source: MTI