Tanítanék Movement awarded EP’s European Citizens Prize

Hungary’s Tanítanék Movement, a grouping of teachers, has been awarded the European Parliament’s European Citizens Prize 2023, and the movement’s leading light, Katalin Törley, received the prize on behalf of the organisation on Friday in Budapest.

The Tanítanék Movement was awarded for “standing up for the rights and values laid down in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights”, Andrea Lövei, the head of the European Parliament’s liaison office in Budapest, said, addressing the ceremony on Friday. It was also recognised for working to improve Hungary’s education system and the position of teachers, she added.

Törley said in her speech that the foundations of European integration had been laid by people who believed in cooperation and the importance of mutual understanding. Not only should cross-border cooperation and dialogue be encouraged in certain countries, but cooperation between the borders should be, too, she added.

Common European values are only possible if education systems are free, inclusive, opportunity-creating, traditional and innovative, she said.

She said the movement had been established by “civilians who are proud of their profession”, and the prize belonged to tens of thousands of teachers who had stood up for quality public education and for a free, democratic country.

As we wrote yesterday, novice teachers in Hungary paid less than 1/5th of annual salary of Danish counterparts, details HERE.

Also we wrote about teacher shortage in Hungary which is much worse than anybody expected, details HERE.