Expert: 30 thousand teachers missing from the Hungarian schools
A Hungarian education expert, Judit Lannert, believes Hungarian schools have reached a critical point with no room for further decline. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, she stated that the system is short of 30,000 teachers, a figure denied by the Hungarian government. Officially, the shortage is reported to be over 3,500 teachers in Hungarian schools.
Hungarian schools conceal problems
Lannert added in the interview that there are numerous methods used to improve statistics regarding the classes conducted. For example, in some schools, pedagogical assistants, who are unqualified to teach specific subjects, are nevertheless assigned to teach classes; in Hungary, such assistants only hold a school-leaving certificate. In other instances, retired teachers are brought back into service, or headteachers redirect specialists, such as special needs teachers, to cover regular classes due to the staffing shortage. Regardless of the method, someone always ends up at a disadvantage.
Lannert argued that the government should not maintain small schools in rural towns. Instead, she suggested creating high-quality school centres. In Western Europe, the average size of a secondary school is around 600 pupils, whereas, in Hungary, the average is only 300. She believes that Hungary needs to reduce the number of subjects taught. Moreover, a significant pay rise for teachers is essential.
The government attempts to solve the labour shortage by administrative measures. They reduced the length of teacher training and allowed soldiers above 55 to be redirected to schools to teach subjects, which outrages parents.
Confidence in Hungary’s higher education institutions strengthened, says official
Confidence in Hungary’s higher education institutions has been strengthened in recent years, the state secretary for higher education, vocational and adult training at the ministry of culture and innovation said on Saturday. Veronika Varga-Bajusz told a press conference that this was evidenced by the fact that more than 100,000 students were admitted to higher education institutions for the second consecutive year, with half of them set to study in fields that are “important from the point of view of the national economy”.
Fully 70 percent of university and college applicants were offered admission this year, three-quarters of them to state-financed programmes, the state secretary said.
Varga-Bajusz welcomed that the number of students admitted to teacher training programmes has doubled to 15,000 this year compared with 2022.
Also, every other applicant will begin their studies at an institution outside the capital, she said. One-fifth of applicants are over the age of 30, she said, adding this meant that the value of higher education degrees was constantly rising.
Business studies programmes were again the most popular this year, followed by teacher training and engineering schemes, she said, adding that interest in STEM programmes has also increased.
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1st Hungarian-Ukrainian bilingual school opened in Budapest – PHOTOS
Hungary’s first Hungarian-Ukrainian dual-language elementary and high school has opened in Budapest.
The school’s inauguration “is a historic moment”, Liliana Grexa, the Ukrainian national minority MP, said after the countries’ respective national anthems were sung at the event on Saturday, and she thanked the House of Ukrainian Traditions for setting up the school.
She said Levente Magyar, the foreign affairs parliamentary state secretary, was among those who helped to advance Hungary-Ukraine relations to the point that opening the school in Budapest became possible.
Fully, 350 children have applied for places at the school and the number is expected to rise during the year, she added. The school has 450 places.
The chance to study in both languages will help in students’ integration while at the same time preserving their native language and culture, Viktor Mikita, the governor of Transcarpathia, told MTI, noting that the school initiative was part of a diplomacy package agreed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Interestingly, no Hungarian government officials were present at the ceremony.
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There are still at least 84,000 needy school-age children in Hungary
A government project aimed at helping poor families with school-age children was formally launched in a school in Budapest’s 13th district on Thursday.
The programme will use 7 billion forints (EUR 18m) from central coffers and European Union funding to supply needy families school packages over a six-year period, Zoltán Maruzsa, the state secretary for public education, said at the ceremony.
The scheme this year covers 84,000 children, he said.
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- Here is how you can help the needy children in Hungary to start school
Will smartphones be banned in Hungarian schools?
Most Hungarians want smartphones banned from schools and regard phone addiction as a serious problem, according to a recent survey.
A government decree introduced in August restricts the use of mobile phones in schools and comes on the heels of similar strict limits placed on smartphone use in schools in the UK, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Greece, Finland and Sweden.
The survey commissioned by the St István Institute published on Wednesday examined the views of Hungarian adults concerning how they see problems caused by smartphone use by young people as well as their opinion of the new government decree.
According to the survey carried out by the Nézőpont Institute, 94 percent saw smartphone use by young people as problematic, while 85 percent backed the government’s restrictions.
More than 60 percent of Hungarian adults see children using smartphones mostly for entertainment while this rises to 73 percent in households raising children.
Children can legally join social media platforms from the age of 13 under current laws, and in general most respondents saw this as too lenient. In Budapest, however, 47 percent considered the regulation appropriate, with 44 percent seeing it as too light.
The survey was carried out with a representative sample of 1,000 adults.
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- Hungarian Wizz Air starts new data roaming service helping all passengers – read more HERE
Here is how you can help the needy children in Hungary to start school
The Hungarian Maltese Charity has launched a campaign to invite donations of school equipment for children in poor families, the organisation told MTI on Wednesday.
Between Wednesday and Saturday, volunteers of the charity will receive pens, excercise books, pencil boxes, school bags and other equipment at their stands set up at Interspar supermarkets, where those accessories can be purchased, their statement said.
The volunteers will sort the donations into packages and send them locally to needy children before the start of the academic year, the statement said.
Interspar also offers vouchers between 500 and 10,000 forints (EUR 1.3-26) that can be donated, the statement added.
For details of the campaign visit the website or Facebok page.
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- Hungary’s first smart kindergarten opens in Budapest – PHOTOS and details HERE
Featured image: illustration
Orbán cabinet promises wage hike amidst labour shortage crisis in Hungary’s education – UPDATED
The government is carrying on with its wage hike programme for teachers as it has promised, bringing teachers’ salaries to 80 percent of the average wage of degree holders, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday.
Government to carry on with teachers’ wage hike programme
Gergely Gulyás told a regular press briefing that the government meeting on Wednesday reviewed the situation of public education, ahead of the start of the new academic year.
With this year’s wage hikes, teachers’ wages have reached 670,000-680,000 forints, Gulyás said. That will be followed by a 21 percent raise on January 1, 2025, and the trend will continue until 2030, in line with the government’s pledge to keep teacher’s wages at least at 80 percent of the average salaries of degree holders, he added.
The average gross wage of degree holders is expected to be around monthly 1.25 million forints (EUR 3,180) in 2025, and teachers’ wages will be raised to 820,000 forints. “Very optimistic estimates” put teachers’ wages above 1 million forints by early 2027, he said.
Public education is of paramount importance for the future, including the prestige and financial appreciation of teachers, Gulyás said. “This is the profession that lays the foundation to the knowledge of future generations of their own homeland and the world around them,” he said.
Family support transferred early for start of school year
Government spokeswoman Eszter Vitályos said September’s family support and childcare benefits would be disbursed early this year in order to reduce parents’ burdens and help the start of the school year.
Vitalyás said the Hungarian Post will start delivering the payments on Friday and the State Treasury will start to make bank transfers on the same day. As a result, some 1,1 million families can receive the family support benefits ahead of the start of the school year.
The government will again provide free textbooks to all students in public education and vocational training, and through the local governments, free or low cost meals will be provided to students in large families and to families that raise disabled children.
Some 13 million text books and 70,000 other materials will be delivered to 4,100 schools, for 1,2 million children, she said.
Public schools have seen a substantial digital development in the past five years, with some 500,000 notebooks distributed to 5-12 graders, 200 smart text books were developed and students and teachers now have access to thousands of digital teaching materials, she said.
Class trips to Lake Balaton
Vitalyás said the school development of the past years had been “unprecedented”, with the development of 5,680 kindergartens and schools, and with 220 projects under way to construct swimming pools, gym halls and classrooms, as well as entire schools and one kindergarten.
Vitalyás said the state-funded Erzsébet camps were now operating year-round, and classes were able to organise school trips to Zánka, at Lake Balaton, in autumn, spring and the Advent season.
Meanwhile, older students now have access to funding for driving and language tests. Since its introduction in 2018, some 196,000 students have received support for driving tests, and 187,000 have been refunded for their successful language exams, Vitalyás said. The government has ploughed 4.9 billion and 6.5 billion forints into the two projects, respectively, she added. Courses for the driving exams have been free for students in public education since January 1, 2024, she said.
Further, the government is working to maintain and possibly expand family support. Tax cuts have left some 4,500 billion forints with families between 2011 and 2023, and under-25s are exempt from the personal income tax, she said.
Oil transit problems likely to be resolved
Gulyás said a solution appears to have been found for the problem of oil transits, with oil company Mol most likely able to sign the necessary agreements to ensure that crude oil transits through Ukraine to Hungary are not getting blocked.
“Technically, this will mean that even though the transport is more costly and Mol must bear risks from the Russia-Ukraine border, there is a legal solution that guarantee future” transits, he said.
He expressed hope that crude oil supplies will be secure in the long term on the route that is under threat in terms of transits.
Gulyás said it was regrettable that the European Commission had not taken action to protect the member states. “Despite this, I must say that it appears energy security can be guaranteed in the long term with the help of these agreements,” he added.
He said that neither Hungary nor Slovakia had received any form of support from Brussels.
Brussels failed to protect EU members, the Orbán cabinet believes
He added that Brussels had failed to protect EU members from the actions of a non-EU member that violated its accession agreement signed with the EU.
Gulyás said it was hoped that the solution would guarantee Hungary’s crude oil supplies and energy security in a period when a war is under way and energy acquisition and supplies belong among ther most important issues throughout Europe.
Meanwhile, the government had called on the justice minister to review possibilities to sue the European Commission for compensation for the costs Hungary had incurred due to migration, Gulyás said.
“We can say that Brussels is working to force us to allow migrants into the country,” Gergely Gulyás told a regular press conference.
Government mulling suing EU for compensation of migration costs
Hungary has also been fined for operating transit zones at the border, even as the new migration pact “has partially taken over those good Hungarian practices”, he said.
The protection of the Schengen Area’s external borders “is also a joint issue, not only Hungary’s, as it is important for the whole of Europe, rather than just protecting Hungary from migration.” At the same time, Hungary is being denied access to EU funding earmarked for border protection that is available for other countries, he said.
Gulyás said the interior and justice ministers were looking into “offering all migrants at the Hungarian border to transport them to Brussels, voluntarily and for free, adhering to European procedures”, should the EU continue to try to strong-arm Hungary into adopting regulations that would make it impossible to keep migrants away from the country.
“If Brussels wants migrants, it can get them,” he said and expressed hope that the lawsuit would result in forcing the EC to bear part of the burdens and sign a sensinble agreement as soon as possible to correct the “unacceptable, unbrearable and unfair” situation that results from a European Court decision.
If this does not succeed then “Hungary does not wish to pay daily fines endlessly” but will make it possible for those willing to get a one-way ticket to Brussels where “they can safely negotiate with the European Commission on the services they are to receive”.
Digital citizenship programme will be launched in September
Responding to questions, Gulyás said the European Commission had “no answer as to why they did not help with the blockade of crude deliveries”. As Ukraine is under attack, “the fashion in Europe these days is to stand by Ukraine,” he said. While that is understandable, “it is wrong and a mistake to think that Ukraine can do anything.”
Hungary’s digital citizenship programme will be launched in September and “will be fleshed out by next summer”, enabling Hungarians to conduct their affairs on the internet, “instead of the current complicated and out-of-touch state systems,” Gulyás said.
Asked about the state of Hungary’s budget, Gulyás said liquidity was ensured for “months, years”. He acknowledged that consumption had fallen behind expectations in the past few months, and said the bad economic environment in Europe, especially stagnation in Germany, was hobbling Hungarian growth. While the Hungarian economy is not growing at the expected pace, it will still be in the top third of European economies, he said. A 3.5-4 percent GDP growth is expected, he added.
Commenting on the arrest of the mayor of Budapest’s 3rd district on suspicion of graft, Gulyás said the scandal was further proof that “the left is riddled with corruption cases.” Noting that the nominating parties were standing by the mayor, who is now in pre-trial detention, Gulyás said those parties would have to ensure leadership in the district. For further developments, the procedure will have to be conducted “to see whether he can carry on leading the district,” he said.
Magyar was attempting to “smear the performance of health-care workers”
Commenting on remarks by Péter Magyar, the leader of the Tisza party, on the state of Hungary’s health-care system, Gulyás said that Magyar was attempting to “smear the performance of health-care workers.” He said those “working under such circumstances” deserved thanks, adding that it was a credit to the “resilience” of Hungarian health care that the extraordinary heat had led to a mere 5 thousandths of operations being postponed.
Gulyás said air conditioning was not effective in heats above 36 degrees Celsius as it could only reduce temperatures by 10 degrees. Since extreme temperatures were expected to become regular, the minister said hospitals needed special protocols to deal with the situation, noting that Mediterranean countries routinely rescheduled non-vital operations in extreme weather.
At the same time, Gulyás said hospital AC systems had been assessed and faulty equipment was being repaired or replaced, “although that doesn’t happen from one day to the other”. In other places, the hospital’s electric system could not cope with the increased demand, he said, but added that increasing the capacity of those systems would require “incredibly high sums”. The aim is to air condition all rooms where care is carried out, he added, however.
The government had ploughed significant funds into repairing and installing air conditioners in hospitals, and will continue to do so, Gulyás said. Health care remains a priority for the government, as mirrored in the wage hikes for doctors and nurses, and their increasing numbers, he said. The government paid all debts of Hungarian hospitals in June, and has allocated a 12.5 billion forint surplus to health-care spending to avoid further accumulation of debts, he added.
School-starter support
Gulyás said the government’s clearly expressed expectation was that when the world marker price of fuel drops, this should be reflected in domestic retail prices. There are various forms of intervention, “we prefer dialogue” which has been successful so far, he said. Asked why the 100,000 forint school-starter support granted to ethnic Hungarians beyond the borders was not extended to Hungarians at home, he said those with children in Hungary were already getting numerous forms of support and tax benefits, while those beyond the borders were getting “nothing”.
Commenting on claims that the state had bought three office buildings at excessive prices, he said it was the best solution to stop paying annual rent and instead move the state’s institutions to properties of its own. He added that an annual 60 billion forints was paid for rent, and by buying the buildings, this investment would return in 9-10 years. He also said that they were extremely energy efficient buildings that are suitable for special government demands. He added that he did not consider the purchase “a bad deal”.
Jobbik proposes 100,000 forints aid for each school starter
The opposition Jobbik-Conservatives party is proposing that each child starting school should receive a grant of 100,000 forints (EUR 250), deputy leader Dániel Z Kárpát said on Wednesday. The MP said Hungarian families “do not in fact receive any assistance” when their children go to school, adding that the government’s paying family allowances earlier made them “miss that amount” from their budget later on. On average, sending a child to primary school costs between 50,000-75,000 forints to start with, while “within weeks after the start of the school year, they may be required to come up with extra amounts required by the school,” he said.
Z Kárpát said the subsidy could easily be financed “from one half or one third of a major state project”.
Ceasefire and peace talks
Commenting on the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the fights spreading over to Russian areas, Gulyás said the government’s position was unchanged in that ceasefire and peace talks were needed and all developments that go against this were disagreeable. He also said that the warring sides should handle all issues concerning energy security keeping in mind that they are not only disputes between them but matters that are important to the whole of Europe’s energy security.
Concerning plans for a fast railway link between the city and Ferihegy, he said the question is not whether this would be built, but when it would happen. If it is not connected to existing tracks, then implementation could take longer, around 4-5 years. A decision in the matter is expected this year, he added.
In response to a question, Gulyás said the explosions on the Nord Stream pipeline were acts of terrorism. “There are means that are unacceptable even if someone is under attack,” he added.
Ever since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Hungary understands that there is a risk that the operation of the Friendship Pipeline becomes impossible. It is partly why Hungary has such considerable reserves of natural gas and crude oil, unmateched by most European countries, he added. Gulyás said that “according to the current situation”, some 56 percent of annual consumption is ensured in the country.
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The power of play: why parents should support play for child development
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There is no universal approach to effective play. It ranges from putting a hand in mashed potatoes, playing video games, or just gazing out of a window. Children do not require fancy gadgets or papers to be produced to play. They require time, space, and liberty to develop the ideas that attract their attention. Regardless of how it may seem, fun is one of the ways through which children learn. This is why play is important for kids.
- Helps in Building Creativity and Imagination
In the play, kids explore and use their minds and bodies. They invent games or can play in imaginary worlds. Children role-play various solutions while at the same time increasing their self-esteem. They set their standards and experience how to work with those standards or at least with their violation. These are good assets in life, especially when it comes to building relationships with other people.
Symbolic play is when a child is capable of taking one thing and using it to represent another. For example, a stick may turn into a cooking spoon, the bucket – into a pot, and the pinecon – into yummy ingredients. A child needs to engage in symbolic play as it is a sign of normal development. It develops attributes that children require in their future learning and handling of problems. It also enhances creativity, a factor that is useful in the achievement of goals in one’s lifetime.
- Fosters Cognitive Growth
What does it imply to support cognitive development? This means that play is a critical component of children’s development, especially in terms of their brains. Free play is the period when children decide what they want to do and how they want to do it. They are free from timetables or events that are planned and controlled by elders.
Play without structure benefits a child’s brain in many ways. It enhances and develops the network of the neurons within the brain. These are the roads in the brain that we implement to think. Unstructured play also aids in the development and strengthening of the prefrontal cortex part of the brain. This area determines how the child acquires information, thinks, and develops an understanding of the surroundings.
- Improves Literacy
It is a fact that children are born with the capability to learn language. From the time they are born, they create language and literacy experiences through play and socialization. Babies and toddlers acquire new words when the adults narrate things that are seen, heard, or done. Verse combines syllables with beats, as in songs and poems. This assists children in learning how to listen and also about the sounds that are contained in words.
In the play, children develop aspects of communication. They can engage in back-and-forth conversations even if they cannot talk. Through books, oral or make-believe play, the child can learn about him or herself and his or her place in society. Stories also show how language functions and how stories are organized.
- Enhances Emotional and Behavioral Development
Play activities are not just a way to divert attention from problems and issues. They are a means of making play a part of our lives again and linking us with the aspects of life that are real. Parents and other people watching children at play can assist the children in understanding emotions by labeling them. Listening and asking questions also make kids know that adults are concerned about them. It makes them understand that what they feel and go through is valued.
Yes, play is an outstanding teacher. Through play, children can learn how to exist in the world in a way that is easily understood. The children get to know how to play with other children, how to share, how to negotiate, how to solve conflicts, and how to be self-directing.
- Encourages Greater Independence
Children are usually powerless or have no control over what they do during their day. They are compelled to do something, to do it at a certain time, and to be in a certain place most of the time. In that context, they can play the role of being the ones who decide the rules and be the authorities. It can be the other way round, and sometimes children can be the ones directing while the adults become the listeners.
Solitary play gives children an opportunity to be creative and come up with unique ideas on their own. When alone and even if they are bored, children’s brains seize the opportunity and engage in the process. They look for other means of exciting themselves in new ways. Albert Einstein once stated that “the lack of communication and the tedium of a simple life helps the creativity of the mind.”
- Promotes Physical Fitness
Unconsciously, children’s bodies are designed to move and engage in physical activities most of the time. Children have a very strong need for physical play, which can be defined as any type of play that involves the child moving. That is how they acquire the knowledge on how to handle their body, and it also helps in laying down connections in the brain. It is also good in that it is a form of exercise and therefore produces fit and healthy children. If you want to, you can easily buy essay papers online.
Play is seen to have numerous benefits for young children, including mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The advantages are also not limited to children but also to adults. Discussions involving play make children feel that adults are interested, and this makes them respect their play choices. This helps to bring about a proper relationship between the adults and the children. Thus, respect, trust, and love form the basis of the emotional state that is most conducive to the development of the learning brain.
Disclaimer: the author(s) of the sponsored article(s) are solely responsible for any opinions expressed or offers made. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of Daily News Hungary, and the editorial staff cannot be held responsible for their veracity.
Hungary’s Semmelweis University among world’s best
Hungary’s medical Semmelweis University has joined the ranks of the world’s top higher education institutions in 14 fields on the list of Best Global Universities compiled by US News, Béla Merkely, the university’s rector, said on Tuesday.
Semmelweis University’s ranking
Semmelweis University has jumped 12 places since last year to 31st in the field of cardiac and cardiovascular systems, Merkely told public television M1, underscoring the ranking’s importance at the international level, as cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide.
The university ranks ahead of several hundred American and European institutions in this field, including Stockholm’s Karolinska Institutet, Sorbonne University, King’s College London, Boston University and the University of Washington, Merkely said.
He also mentioned systematic developments undertaken at the university over the last 15 years, including infrastructure and human resources upgrades at the Városmajor Cardiovascular Clinic.
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UNICEF aiding refugee Ukrainian children returning to school in Hungary
Ukrainian children who have fled to Hungary from the war need material aid and social support to start the upcoming school year, the UN’s children’s fund UNICEF said in a statement on Monday, coinciding with the opening of an exhibition of photomontages in City Hall park in Budapest.
UNICEF aiding refugee Ukrainian children
Thousands of children who cannot attend school in their home country will soon start the school year in Hungary, the statement said.
Two years into the war, around half of Ukrainian children have either fled the country or are internally displaced, the UN’s children’s fund said. Hungary currently hosts more than 60,000 Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children, it said.
Hungarian Reformed Church Aid, a charity, has been working in partnership with UNICEF to smooth access to education, health care, child protection services and psychological healing for Ukrainian refugees, the statement said.
The exhibition, entitled Flowers and Tanks – Artwork in the Shadow of the War in Ukraine, featuring photomontages of war-torn Ukraine and drawings by child refugees, runs through to Aug 21.
Donations to UNICEF for its work with Ukrainian children can be made at unicef.hu/ukrajnai-menekult-gyerekekert
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Featured image: depositphotos.com
Comprehensive list of international schools in Hungary
If you do not like public schools in Hungary, numerous great international schools are operating in Hungary. While these international schools in Hungary provide outstanding knowledge and opportunities, they come at a great price. Only a fortunate few can afford some of these international schools.
International schools in Hungary over public schools?
As Eduline writes, international schools in Hungary present an appealing alternative to the public education system, offering a diverse range of curricula tailored to different nationalities. These institutions, which include British, American, German, Russian, French, and Arabic schools, typically provide a comprehensive educational pathway from kindergarten through to secondary education. Parents seeking a global perspective and a multicultural environment for their children often consider these schools as a viable option. In general, the curriculum and teaching methods are designed to prepare students for international opportunities, fostering language skills and cultural awareness.
The cost of quality education
However, the cost of this exclusive education is out of reach for many families. Tuition fees at these international schools can reach nearly HUF 10 million (EUR 25,414) per year, making them accessible only to those who can afford such a significant financial outlay. For the majority of parents, the steep costs place these institutions out of reach, leaving them with limited alternatives. As a result, international schools in Hungary remain an option primarily for those who can afford the significant financial commitment.
Here’s the list of international schools in Hungary:
- International Christian School of Budapest ICSB
- Britannica International School Budapest
- International School of Budapest
- Gustave Eiffel French Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary School
- Great Grace International School
- Österreichische Schule Budapest
- American International School of Budapest
- Russian School
- Al Wahda Arab School مدرسة الوحدة العربية
- The British International School
- Thomas Mann Gymnasium-Deutsche Schule Budapest
- Budapest Japanese School
- UBZ Mercedes-Benz Schule
- Audi Hungaria Schule
- SEK Budapest International School
- Budapest British International School
- QSI International School of Pápa
- International School of Debrecen (ISD)
- Veritas Collegiate Academy Budapest
- Avalon International School
- Avicenna International College
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Hungarian Baptist Charity seeks donations for school-starter children
The Hungarian Baptist Charity has launched a donation drive to help 2,500 needy children starting school this year, the organisation said in a statement.
Donations for school-starter children in need
Last year the charity distributed the same number of packages filled with exercise books, pencil boxes, glue, sports equipment and schoolbags, primarily in the country’s poorer northern and north-eastern counties, it said.
Béla Szilágyi, the charity’s head, said the charity provides aid to poor families throughout the year, providing clothes and food products.
Collection points in the city include Nyugati Square (30-31 August), while online donations can be given at www.sulidoboz.hu.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross has also started an online fundraiser for 3,000 schoolchildren and their families across the country, the organisation said on Friday. The action ending on 31 August similarly focuses on collecting and delivering school supplies such as coloured pencils, gym clothes and sports shoes.
Donations can be given at voroskereszt.hu/adomanyozas/kampany-tamogatasa/jokedvvel-az-iskolaba/.
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- Hungarian students win silver medals at linguistics International Student Olympiad
- Here’s the list of items banned from Hungarian schools starting September 2024
Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com
Hungarian students win silver medals at linguistics International Student Olympiad
Hungarian school students have won two silver medals at the 21st International Linguistics Olympiad in held in Brasilia between July 23 and 31.
Individuals and teams from 38 countries competed, and this year 11th grader Máté Gergely Virág (Eötvös József High School) and Rudolf Virág (Budapest Fazekas Mihály High School), who graduated this year, each won a medal, the HUN-REN Linguistics Research Center said on Saturday.
Tasks involved working out the operating principle of five rare languages, such as Koryak of Chukotko-Kamchatkan language family and Yanyuwa of the Australian Aboriginal Pama-Nyungan family, while teams were given a lexicostatistical task.
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Belgian professor heading Budapest’s top university
From 1 August 2024, Bruno van Pottelsberghe will take over as Rector of Corvinus University of Budapest. The university professor of the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels was appointed by the President of the Republic Tamás Sulyok to head Corvinus for a four-year term.
The President of the Republic’s resolution to appoint Bruno van Pottelsberghe as Rector was published in the Hungarian Official Gazette. The appointment of the Belgian university professor was supported by both the Senate of Corvinus University of Budapest and the Maecenas Universitatis Corvini Foundation, which maintains the university. In addition to acting as Rector, Van Pottelsberghe has been mandated to fulfil the responsibilities of President.
MOL CEO Hernádi congratulated the new university rector
“Congratulations on the appointment of Mr van Pottelsberghe. I am looking forward with great anticipation to the new university cycle that we are starting with him. The results we have built so far with the model change provide a good basis for further improvements. Thanks to the incoming Rector’s impressive international professional experience and his clear leadership programme, Corvinus is now fully positioned to become a university of international repute, for which we will give all the support needed. I wish our new Rector every success in achieving this goal and working together” – said Zsolt Hernádi, President of the Board of Trustees of the Maecenas Universitatis Corvini Foundation on the resolution taken by the President of the Republic, uni-corvinus.hu wrote.
In recent years, Corvinus has tripled the number of Corvinus publications in the most prestigious scholarly journals, gained several prestigious international institutional accreditations, and expanded with a renewed programme offer and a modern campus in 2024 that meets all today’s needs. As a pioneer of model change, Corvinus is now on a stable, innovative and forward-looking path and has become a reference point for Hungarian higher education.
Making one of the most attractive universities in Europe
“I am honoured to start my work at one of the country’s leading higher education institutions, Corvinus University of Budapest. I will do everything in my power to continue along the road taken, and to contribute in every possible way to the further development and internationalisation of Corvinus. Working together with our lecturer-researcher colleagues, support staff members, students and partners, our goal is to make Corvinus one of the best and most attractive universities in Europe, with state-of-the-art training and research output.
It is important that we provide world-class programmes for the most talented young Hungarians at home, and that more and more international students choose Hungarian higher education. In the coming years, I intend to focus on three priority themes: changing to a new dimension in internationalisation and international visibility, further strengthening research excellence, promoting innovation in education, with a particular focus on sustainability and artificial intelligence” – said Bruno van Pottelsberghe on the occasion of his appointment.
Born in Belgium, Bruno van Pottelsberghe studied business economics, econometrics and international relations at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, obtaining his PhD in 1998, after visiting research positions in METI (Tokyo, 1995) and Columbia university (NYC, 1996). In his alma mater: From 2007-2011 and then from 2021 he acted as the Dean of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, a faculty of ULB. From 2014 he has been the academic head of the Executive MBA programme and since 2004 he has served as advisor to the Rector and chairman of the ULB Valuation Committee.
He is the initiator and co-founder of the international university network Quantitative Techniques for Economics and Management Network (QTEM), has performed numerous peer review visits for international accreditations, and has also gained non-academic experience at the OECD in Paris (1997-1999) and as Chief Economist of the European Patent Office (2005-2007). Bruno van Pottelsberghe’s main research fields are economics of innovation, patent systems, intellectual property rights, and technology transfer. He has an outstanding scientific record; he is the author or co-author of more than 60 scientific articles, as well as the author, co-author or co-editor of five books. He has considerable teaching experience in bachelor, master, Executive MBA and doctoral programmes.
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Hungarian government strengthens education relations with Iraq
Boglárka Illés, the foreign ministerial state secretary for bilateral relations, and Naim Abed Yasser, Iraq’s minister for higher education and scientific research, signed a cooperation agreement in Budapest on Friday aimed at bolstering bilateral education relations.
Illés told a press conference after the signing that under the agreement, Hungary will offer higher-education scholarships to 100 Iraqi students between 2025 and 2027 as part of the Stipendium Hungaricum programme.
Abed Yasser said Iraq will also offer scholarships to Hungarian students, adding that they trusted that the student exchange programme would act as a “cultural bridge” between the two countries and have a positive effect on economic relations.
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Here’s the list of items banned from Hungarian schools starting September 2024
On Thursday, the government published a list of items that will be banned from schools and dorms. These include knives, guns, alcohol, mobile phones, smartwatches, and energy drinks. Teachers will collect these items every morning for the duration of the school day.
The amendment to the law underpinning this measure was adopted in June, at the end of the spring session of Parliament. The proposed government decree, aimed at preventing violence in public education institutions and protecting the physical and mental health of pupils, has caused serious outrage due to its authoritarian tone, according to HVG. The decree will come into force on 1 September 2024.
The law passed in June gives the government the mandate to define prohibited items that cannot be brought into schools and those that can only be used with the headmaster’s permission. It was already clear in June that this would significantly restrict the use of mobile phones in schools, allowing their use only for educational purposes under teacher supervision.
Gas sprays, energy drinks and phones banned from Hungarian schools
The list of prohibited items, precisely defined in the draft, includes items dangerous to public safety, those punishable under the penal code, and those that cannot be purchased by persons under 18. From autumn onwards, prohibited items will include knives or cutting instruments with a blade of 8 cm, bows, spear guns, slingshots, gas sprays, alcohol, tobacco products, energy drinks, and drugs.
The other, less severe category is “restricted” objects, which include telecommunication devices such as mobile phones, devices for image or sound recording, and smart devices for internet access. This category encompasses mobile phones, laptops, digital or analogue cameras, voice recorders, smartwatches, and e-book readers.
Exceptions may be made for digital devices like laptops, tablets, and, where appropriate, mobile phones, which can be used as digital teaching tools in the classroom. These can be used for educational purposes with the teacher’s or headmaster’s permission.
Energy drinks are also on the government’s target list. A proposed government decree, yet to be published, would ban the purchase of energy drinks by individuals under 18. When this ban enters into force, energy drinks will be added to the list of prohibited items in schools.
To ensure compliance, teachers and school guards will have the authority to search students’ luggage and storage areas and confiscate prohibited items. The regulation also outlines rules for checking compliance, taking back and returning objects, and storing these objects. At the beginning of the school day, pupils must hand in restricted objects, which will be kept in a locked place until the end of the school day.
According to the text of the law adopted in June, educational institutions are not liable for “damage to the object during its safekeeping.” However, the draft government decree specifies that the object should not be damaged because “the object must be returned in the condition in which it was received.”
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Featured image: depositphotos.com
PHOTO GALLERY: Stunning visual plans of Budapest’s newest university campus
The Hungarian Reformed Church organised an open architectural competition to design the new university campus in Ferencváros for Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church (KRE). 42 architectural firms submitted valid proposals, and the jury selected the design by Archikon Architects, a Budapest-based studio celebrating its 35th anniversary.
New university campus in the heart of Budapest
The jury included professionals delegated by the Reformed Church, Budapest’s chief architect Zoltán Erő, Ferencváros mayor Krisztina Baranyi, vice president of the Hungarian Chamber of Architects Tihamér Szalay, and KRE chancellor Gyula Balázs Csáki-Hatalovics. The jury was chaired by national chief architect Regő Lánszki, with university development leader Balázs Fürjes as co-chair. The results were announced yesterday evening, our sibling site, HellóMagyar reports.
Project Details
The new university campus will be built in the traditional Reformed district between Ráday Street and Üllői Road in Ferencváros, utilising the former Kaltenberg Brewery building and a vacant lot on Üllői Road. Funded by state support and church resources, the campus will house the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences and the Institute of Psychology, accommodating nearly 2,500 students. The competition saw record participation, with submissions from firms across Hungary and the EU.
Winning design
Archikon Architects, known for winning multiple prestigious awards such as the Budapest Architectural Excellence Award and the Mies Award, secured first place. The jury’s recommendations emphasised preserving and developing leisure functions at Markusovszky Square and collaborating closely with the Ferencváros Municipality for planning parking and public spaces.
Design goals
The competition aimed to blend tradition and innovation, with designs reflecting the church’s mission and openness. The university campus should integrate well into the Ferencváros district and align with local urban plans, serving both the university community and local residents. The design prioritises high architectural quality, sustainability, environmental consciousness, and Reformed simplicity.
Jury recommendations
The jury highlighted the importance of maintaining public leisure spaces at Markusovszky Square and ensuring the new development does not overly burden public areas. Ferencváros Mayor Krisztina Baranyi stressed the need for unified planning with Markusovszky Square, the district’s only public park. She noted that while the winning design is promising, it must preserve the park’s current functions and green spaces.
Architectural vision
Budapest’s chief architect Zoltán Erő emphasised the challenge of integrating large-scale projects into the densely built urban fabric while maintaining public spaces. The winning design proposes a “city within a city” concept, with buildings reflecting urban diversity and sustainability. The preservation and intelligent use of existing structures are key aspects.
Historical integration
National chief architect Regő Lánszki remarked that the Reformed Church has historically prioritised education. The winning design by Archikon Architects integrates KRE both globally and locally, preserving the structure of the historic Dohánygyár factory and enhancing connections with the surrounding environment.
Future collaboration
Balázs Fürjes, co-chair of the jury and university development leader, highlighted the collaborative effort required for the project. The goal is to dream boldly, plan responsibly, and build with discipline, ensuring the new university campus benefits the city and honours God.
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PISA 2022 report on young people’s financial literacy released: Hungary ranks average
The PISA 2022 report assessing the financial literacy of young people has been released and shows Hungary as ranking among the average of the 14 OECD countries examined, the Education Office (OH) said on Thursday.
PISA 2022 report on financial literacy out
The first large-scale international PISA study assessing the financial skills and knowledge of 15-year-olds was conducted in 2012. Participation is optional and Hungary joined it for the first time in 2022.
The 2022 assessment covered 20 countries including 14 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
According to the OH, Hungarian students scored 492 points which is close to the average 498-point score of the participating OECD countries. The points Hungarian students scored is, however, above the overall average score of 475 points.
The OH noted that close to 82 percent of 15-year-old Hungarian students had the minimum or higher financial literacy skills expected from a social point of view.
A detailed report on the Hungarian youth’s results is expected to be released in the first half of July.
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Featured image: depositphotos.com
Hungarian government announces 2024’s scholarships to help diaspora Hungarians
Applications are open for a new round of 125 scholarships available through the government’s Sándor Kőrösi Csoma and Sándor Petőfi scholarship schemes, the state secretary in charge of policies for Hungarian communities abroad said on Saturday in a video message.
Árpád János Potápi called the two programmes the flagships of the policy for Hungarians abroad which aim to facilitate programmes for Hungarian communities living in different parts of the world.
Applications are open to Hungarians aged above 18 with an experience in organising communities. Applicants can choose out of four group of tasks covered by the programmes which include scouting activities, preserving traditions, teaching and education, and community, sport, media and cultural activities.
The destination countries for the Kőrösi scheme include the United States, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, the United Kingdom, North Macedonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Poland, Germany, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel, Canada and Turkiye.
The Petőfi scheme covers Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Applications can be submitted from June 15 until July 14.
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