Education laws are passed by the National Assembly, strategies by the government, and content regulations by the government or the ministry responsible. The central governance and supervision of education is primarily the responsibility of the two relevant ministries: public education by the Ministry of the Interior, and higher education, vocational training and education and adult training by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation.  For vocational and adult education, depending on the economic sub-sector, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation and other ministries (e.g. the Ministry of Agriculture for agricultural qualifications) may share responsibility for the qualifications.

The duties and competences of the ministers responsible for education are regulated by the Government Decree 182/2022 (V.24.) on the duties and powers of the members of the Government (182/2022. (V. 24.) Korm. rendelet a Kormány tagjainak feladat- és hatásköréről).

The Minister responsible for education prepares acts and government decrees, carries out policy and strategic development, and regulates the operation of the institutions by ministerial decrees. These are mandatory for the maintainers and the institutions.

The Minister responsible for public education

• develops the strategy for public education; 

• develops and publishes education programmes;

• sets out the organisation of the school year in a decree;

• regularly, but at least every 5 years, evaluates - with the assistance of the council established by him/her - the experiences of the introduction and application of the National Core Programme for Kindergarten Education and Care and the National Core Curriculum, initiates the necessary amendments with the Government if necessary, monitors the publication and distribution of textbooks, regulates the system of subsidies for textbooks;

• ensures the organisationof the national pedagogical assistance services and the free provision of pedagogical assistance services to public educational institutions;

• ensures the monitoring and evaluation of pedagogical work in educational institutions at national, regional, county and metropolitan levels;

• ensures the operation and development of the national examination system; 

• maintains the public education information system.

The Minister responsible for Higher Education, VET and Adult Learning is in charge of:

• preparing legislation on higher education policy; 

• sectoral governance of higher education;

• defining training and programme outcomes based standards and requirements for bachelor's and master's degrees and for higher education vocational education and training;

• determining, within the limits set by law, by an annual decision, which programmes of higher education institutions are eligible for Hungarian state (full or partial) scholarships;

• the preparation of development plans for the higher education system, including a medium-term development plan;

• evaluation of the higher education and economic relations at least every three years;

• operating the career tracking system;

• overseeing the lawful operation of non-state higher education institutions; 

operating a professional supervision system.

Furthermore, under the Vocational Training and Education and the Adult Education Act:

• the management of the vocational training centres (established by him/her), the management– on behalf of the state - of vocational education and training institutions (which are operating under the vocational training centres),

• carries out the tasks related to the use of the training component of the earmarked public funds for employment programmes.

• issuing training and programme outcomes based standards and requirements and curriculum in accordance with the opinion of the member of the Government responsible for the given sector,

• keeping a register of the programme requirements for vocational qualifications,

• developing vocational training textbooks, digital curricula and other study aids, makes recommendations to the government on the content of the Register of Vocational Qualifications (Szakmajegyzék) with the consent of the government member responsible for the given sector,

• ensuring the definition of the content of the central examination and the interactive examination of vocational training, developing the assessment guidelines and other documents of vocational training,

• ensuring the necessary conditions for the operation of the Vocational Education and Training Innovation Council,

• performing research, development and service tasks related to vocational training and develops the methodology of the evaluation of teachers,

• ensuring the operation of the registration and study system, and its subsystem, the system supporting the prevention of early school leaving, as well as the operation of the management in closed system distance learning.

The tasks of the ministers responsible are supported by central management bodies helping to implement legislation and to manage and operate education.

Educational Authority

The Educational Authority (Oktatási Hivatal) is present in both public and higher education, in the continuous education of students, in studies, administration of language exams or in the management of the affairs of teachers participating in an in-service training. The Authority effectively brings together all areas of the Hungarian education and training system. 

In its competence, the Educational Authority performs the following on national level:

• operates the whole range of educational and pedagogical counselling services for the public education institutions maintained by the state within the frameworks of performing public education duties, 

• develops and operates the information and process-supporting IT systems required for the performance of the pedagogic services,

• operates and develops the system of national pedagogical assessment system,

• operates and develops the national system of counselling,

• organises the system of subject areas, subjects and subject management system,

• elaborates and implements accredited or non-accredited trainings,

• organises study competitions and pedagogical information on the basis of standard rules of procedure,

• performs the duties related to the promotion system of teachers and supervision procedures,

• is responsible for the admission process in public and higher education: EA registers applicants and their data, and assists applicants with a wide range of information,

• carries out the domestic recognition of certificates issued by foreign universities and language exam certificates,

• preparest he upper-secondary school leaving exams,

• judges applications for deferral of compulsory education,

• decides on individual work schedule requests,

• operates the Public Education Information System (Köznevelés Információs Rendszere),

• operates the Higher Education Information System,

• organizes national public education study competitions including the most prestigious National Secondary School Academic Competition.

The regional Pedagogical Educational Centres of the Educational Authority perform the local duties of the Authority related to educational and pedagogical counselling services:

• operation of the subject areas and subject management network,

• assignment of educational advisors,

• teacher information activity,

• educational administrative information activity,

• pedagogical assessment duties,

• organisation of in-service trainings, professional conferences, information sessions,

• organisation of study competitions,

• information and counselling for students,

• system-level support of students endangered by dropping out,

• the educational and pedagogical counselling services for ethnic minority education.

Klebelsberg Cenre

The Klebelsberg Centre (Klebelsberg Központ) exercises management, efficiency, financial and control powers as the central management body for the school district centres.

The Klebelsberg Centre is responsible for: 

• preparing and sending to the Minister the documents of the employer’s measure related to the appointment, assignment and revocation of assignment of the head of the public education institution. 

• enforcing the requirements of regular and effective financial management of the public education institutions’ resources, especially the payment appropriation, approved headcount and the property managed or used by the institution.

• in its statutory tasks, collecting and analysing statistical data, and contributing at a national level to the organization with the tasks of determining the orientation of territorial public education. 

• carrying out the tasks related to the development of funding sources, the planning and implementation of EU programmes, also ensuring the coordination of the applications and the project activities for the school district centres. 

• providing professional and strategic coordination of the maintenance activities for the school district centres, providing support for the development and implementation of the public education institution’s development plans, if the maintainer is the school district.

National Office of Vocational Education and Training and Adult Learning

The National Office of Vocational Education and Training and Adult Learning (NOVETAL, Nemzeti Szakképzési és Felnőttképzési Hivatal) is the most important institution for the operational delivery of the regulatory system in adult education. 

The following activities are linked to NOVETAL:

• supports VET Centres as a mid-management organisation from founding through approval of operational procedures to financial auditing and performs maintainer tasks.

• keeps the register of vocational training institutions and decides on matters relating to their operating licences,

• operates an electronic interface for the vocational examination and handles appeals relating to the vocational examination,

• maintains a central register of vocational examinations data and of the certificates and examination forms issued,

• maintains the register of VET textbooks,

• operates the Data Reporting System for Adult Training,

• operates the graduate career tracking system,

• operates the National Reference Point, which publishes the European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) and develops and maintains the Europass Certificate Supplements,

• coordinates the activities of professionals involved in providing career guidance and counselling.

IKK Innovative Training Support Centre

As a professional, information centre, the IKK Innovative Training Support Centre (IKK Innovatív Képzéstámogató Központ) plays a significant role in the operation of the vocational education and training system, the renewal of VET and adult training, the development of skills and the use of digital methods. Its main tasks are:

• the development of content and tools for vocational education and training, the creation of a methodology for the development of teaching aids; 

• contributing to the development and implementation of a digitalised VET administration system;

• developing a methodology system for sectoral training centres; 

• supporting the development of the career tracking system;

• operating the system of in-service training for trainers; 

• operating the Vocational Training Information and Information Centre; 

• operating an examination centre and providing qualification examinations as part of adult training activities.

The Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MKIK; Magyar Kereskedelmi és Iparkamara) plays an important role in the functioning of the adult education system. As a professional organization and as a general advocate of the economic operators, the chamber has adequate information and views on the needs of the economy, thus they are able to visualize the content and structural needs related to business and economic training. 

The Chaimber’s main responsibilitiesare:

• to elaborate the qualification and examination criteria of vocational qualifications to be issued by the Minister responsible for vocational training in a decree,

• to control the compliance with the Vocational Education and Training Act of internship contracts concluded by employers, carries out the review of legality of workplaces providing practical training,

• the complex monitoring of the quality of vocational training,

• to make proposals to the Minister responsible for vocational training on the directions of enrolment in vocational training institutions,

• to develop quality conditions for the registration of dual training workshops and places,

• to keep a register of dual training workshops and places,

• to facilate the conclusion of vocational training employment contracts, thus encouraging economic organizations to participate in vocational training.

• to operate the committee for the registration, modification and deletion of registration of the programme requirements in adult training;

• to prepare the professional classification of the adult training programme requirements according to the Register of Vocational Qualifications and to define and classify the programme requirements according to the HuQF, which is related to the EQF;

• to operate a national system of level examinations: 

• Professional examination assistance;

• Master training and examination;

• acting as the secretariat of the Sectoral Skills Council, coordinating its operation and ensuring the conditions for its functioning.

Sectoral Skill Councils

Sectoral Skills Councils (Ágazati Készségtanácsok) monitor the structure of the vocational training system of their own sector, the economic, labour market and technical-technological processes. They carry out the following tasks:

• providing an expert opinion in connection with the registration of the programme requirements of a training 

• can make elaborate proposals for 

  • the duration of vocational education,

  • the programme outcomes based standards and requirements,

  • the content of textbooks and other educational aids,

• recommending the definition of the Register of Vocational Qualifications

• preparing the proposal for definition of the aims and the short- and medium-term development of vocational education and training

Consultative bodies:

National Public Education Council. A body that proposes, gives opinions and advises on issues related to public education. It can give opinions on the National Core Curriculum and framework curricula. Its members are appointed by the Minister. 

Roundtable on General Educational Strategy.  It is a public consultative professional body with five sides: governmental, professional, maintenance, trade union and student-parent. 

National Council of National Minorities. It is involved in the preparation of decisions relating to national minority education; it is a national body with a professional role, providing proposals, opinions and advice. Its members (13 persons) are delegated by the national minority self-governments.

The Vocational Education and Training Innovation Council’s  main task is to reconcile the interests of national strategic issues of vocational education and training. As a national body for professional decision-making, commenting and proposing, the Council assists the Minister responsible for vocational training in carrying out his/her duties in relation to vocational training. The Council provides an opinion on strategic issues concerning the development of the vocational training system, the principles of the vocational training support system, draft legislation concerning vocational training, proposes the development of vocational requirements, curricula and new procedures, evaluates the effectiveness of vocational training. It also delivers an opinion on the application of vocational training curricula and professional requirements and makes recommendations on the employment opportunities.

Dual Training Council. Among others, it develops the qualification and assessment requirements for the training field as laid down in the legislation and the standards for the organisation and for the person providing the practical training. At the request of the Minister responsible for higher education or the Minister responsible for the coordination of scientific policy, it provides individual expert opinions, carries out analyses and research to support education policy decisions, and assesses the quality of the dual training providers.

The Hungarian Rectors' Conference is a consultative body representing the interests of higher education institutions. Its members are the rectors of higher education institutions.

The National Doctoral Council issues opinions on matters related to doctoral training and the awarding of degrees, and defines the principles of the organisation of complex examinations and the principles of the quality and performance-based distribution of the number of students supported by Hungarian state (partial) scholarships for doctoral training between higher education institutions. Its members are the presidents of the doctoral councils of higher education institutions.

The Hungarian Accreditation Committee is an independent national expert body established for the external evaluation of the quality of education, scientific research and artistic creation in higher education and the operation of the internal quality assurance system of higher education institutions. It participates as an expert in procedures related to higher education institutions in accordance with the law.