Next phase of reopening from Monday: universities, schools

Universities will be allowed to reopen for students from Monday while observing strict protection measures, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology said on Friday. Students will return to middle and high schools on May 10 as well.

Starting on May 10, rectors can opt for reintroducing in-person or hybrid education or for continuing digital education for the remaining week of the semester and during the exam period afterwards, the Ministry said in a statement. Higher education institutions, however, are expected to

strictly observe and enforce protection measures,

it said.

“The transitional regulation gives [higher education institutions] the opportunity to prolong education over the summer so as to catch up with practical courses put on hold due to the epidemic,” the statement quoted József Bódis, the state secretary for higher education, as saying.

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Based on a previous government decision, the next phase of the reopening of Hungarian education was not attached to the success of the inoculation program.

PM Orbán said that middle and high schools would open after May 10 regardless of how the inoculation program advances. Nevertheless, during April, all teachers who registered could receive Pfizer vaccines to become protected.

However, according to Index.hu, many teachers have not even received the first shot yet. Furthermore, even though most of them are partly protected against the virus, many teachers are afraid to return to schools. Instead, they would like to remain in the framework of digital education until mid-June, which is the end of the school year in Hungary.

Students would like the same. Thus, it is not surprising that

more than 127 thousand people signed a petition of the Adom student movement in which they demand the abolition of compulsory attendance.

Currently, parents can keep their children home if they have sufficient reason to, and teachers’ unions say that the pandemic falls into that category. Meanwhile,

the government is going to start inoculating the 16-18 age group on May 10.

Source: MTI, index.hu