Péter Magyar announces new cabinet member in video interview

Péter Magyar, leader of the election-winning Tisza Party and prime minister-elect, has asked Judit Lannert to serve as the minister for children and education in the new government.

Here’s Hungary’s new education minister

Magyar made the announcement on Facebook on Friday, saying Lannert is an economist and social policy expert with a PhD in sociology.

In a conversation with Magyar posted on Facebook on Friday, Lannert promised a shift in approach to education and also spoke about the introduction of a new national core curriculum, raising the age of compulsory schooling to 18, and reviewing the foundation model in higher education.

In the conversation, Magyar promised that the incoming Tisza government would provide every form of professional, human, and budgetary support to the sector, whose leader, like the health minister, will have special privileges within the cabinet. Magyar expressed hope that by working together with teachers, parents, and students, they could launch an education system that enables every child to obtain the qualifications needed to fulfil their dreams.

In response to Magyar’s question about what she considers the biggest problem in education, Lannert said that according to PISA assessments, Hungary is consistently among the top three countries where family background most strongly determines performance.

“This locks children, families, and society in their position, and there is no mobility,” she said. The only way out of this is through a shift in mindset, she added.

• Péter Magyar promised to announce four more cabinet members next week

Young people should leave school with a qualification

She said that the education system had recently been “completely sidelined,” and as professional considerations disappeared, distrust towards teachers grew. Attempts were made to correct this by introducing more and more controls and assessments into the system, she said, adding that the teacher evaluation system was flawed, arguing that it was only a burden on the system.

She said there is a need to reduce the workload for both children and teachers, while at the same time a new national core curriculum is needed that is not controlling or prescriptive, but rather provides principles and models.

She said teaching critical thinking was essential, and highlighted the importance of feedback and data-driven education policy.

Lannert said she wanted the word “child” to appear in the ministry”s name because this would also help bring about a shift in perspective.

Regarding raising the age of compulsory education from 16 to 18, Lannert said this could be introduced gradually, but it is important that young people leave school with some form of qualification accepted by the labour market.

Teachers should only focus on teaching

Teachers’ assistants’ salaries must be addressed, she said, adding that the Finnish system works because teachers only have to focus on teaching.

Speaking about higher education, she urged a review of the foundation model. Magyar, in response, confirmed that they will significantly overhaul the foundation model, not because the EU is demanding it, but because it is in the interest of Hungarian higher education.

Check out the video below:

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