The State of Education in Hungary

A competitiveness report published by the Hungarian National Bank extensively covers education.

According to the report, education significantly impacts a country’s economic performance through the quality of the available workforce.

International tests measuring the effectiveness of the education system show that Hungarian students learn the curriculum but struggle to apply it adequately in their lives.

In 2020, Hungary spent 3.7% of its GDP on education, which is lower than the European Union average of 4.5%.

The rate of early school leaving without qualifications is also high in Hungary.

The number of people with tertiary education also lags behind the EU average, and Hungarian higher education institutions are not ranked high in major international rankings. However, the number of foreign students studying in Hungarian higher education is consistently high, accounting for 13% of all students.

The numeracy skills of the adult population are good, but there are significant growth potentials in foreign language proficiency, financial, and digital literacy.

Among OECD countries, Hungarian teachers’ salaries were the lowest compared to the salaries of those with tertiary education. However, a significant 30% salary increase has been observed since 2024, reducing income inequalities.

In Hungary, 31% of the 25-34 age group had tertiary education in 2022.

Experts agree that those with higher education have better positions in both employment and income than those with lower qualifications.

However, public education faces several challenges. The number of children is decreasing, leading to further mergers of institutions and the creation of new ones.

The proportion of teachers over 50 has doubled (from 23% to 47%) in the past 20 years, while the proportion of new teachers has halved (from 15% to 7%). In the same period, the proportion of teachers over 60 has increased from 3% to 15%.

It is necessary to increase the number of professionals supporting teachers’ work, better recognize the work of teachers in the poorest settlements, and extend the system of paid creative leave to teachers. Additionally, the relationship and communication between school districts and schools need improvement.

Currently, education “has no owner” in Hungary, and the different maintainers and managers often do not trust each other. Decision-makers need to understand that good education requires effective teachers, and effective teachers need competitive salaries.

Competitive salaries could attract talented young people who previously would have chosen not to pursue a teaching career.

The public education curriculum does not model the future economic and intellectual challenges, but instead overburdens both children and teachers.

https://www.mnb.hu/letoltes/versenyke-pesse-gi-jelente-s-2023.pdf