2024

New teacher status and career path

The Act on the New Careers of Teachers (Act LII of 2023 on the New Careers of Teachers) entered into force on 1 January 2023, which means that from 1 January 2024 all teachers working in school education have been replaced from their previous status as public servants or employees by the status of school education employees, and the rules of their employment have been changed in several respects.

Teacher pay raise

Two Government Decrees (Government Decree No. 661 of 2023 (December 29) on the support related to the part of the salary for the creation of opportunities to be paid by certain maintainers, on the additional budget support for 2024 and amending Government Decree No. 401 of 2023 (August 30) on the implementation of Act LII of 2023 on the new career of teachers; and Government Decree No. 662 of 2023 (December 29) on the emergency rules for central budget support for teacher salary increases) have been issued with effect from 1 January 2024, marking the start of a significant pay raise. In 2024, teachers' pay will increase by an average of 32.2% to reach 71.8% of average graduate earnings. Further pay raises will be introduced in the following period, with the aim of reaching 80% of average graduate earnings by 2025. The pay raise will be partly financed by the European Social Fund. The increase will not only apply to teachers in public education institutions, but also to a similar extent to teachers in private and church-run schools, as decided by the government.

Introduction of a new teacher appraisal

From 1 June 2024, the Government introduced a new system of teacher appraisal the framework of which was established by the Act on the Careers of Teachers (Act LII of 2023 on the New Careers of Teachers), and the details of which were set out in a new ministerial decree published on 4 April 2024 (Decree ofthe Ministry of the Interior No. 18 of 2024 (4 April) on the performance assessment of teachers). 

According to the new appraisal scheme, the work of teachers and of those directly involved in education and training (NOKS) will be assessed annually (by 30 June) by the head of the kindergarten. Heads of kindergarten are evaluated by representatives of the maintaining authority. During the assessment process, personal performance targets are set and then assessed for achievement. The annex to the ministerial decree details the criteria for performance assessment and the maximum points that can be awarded. The assessment is conducted through an electronic interface.

In order to ensure the success of the implementation, the Education Authority, in consultation with the Ministry responsible for public education and the Klebelsberg Centre, and after consulting the National Faculty of Teachers, has developed and published on its website a detailed methodology, professional and procedural rules, and organised a series of workshops for stakeholders in cooperation with the Pedagogical Education Centres (POK).

2023

Further increase in the number of nursery places

The Government has announced a new HUF 10 billion tender in the 3rd phase of its day-care centre development programme, as part of the Hungary Recovery and Resilience Plan, which will create around 700 new day-care places in 16 settlements. The competition is open to local authorities, national and local national minority self-governments and churches in municipalities of 3,000 inhabitants or more planning to build a new sursery, mini-nursery or family nursery. This will further increase the number of places available. (palyazat.gov.hu)

Sectoral professional allowance

As of January 1, 2023, all teachers are entitled to a sectoral professional allowance equal to a thirty-two percent of their salary calculated without allowances and salary bonus.

Family-friendly workplaces

The State Secretariat for Families has announced a tender for the 13th time to create family-friendly workplaces. Last year 54 applicants won the Family Friendly Workplace title. This year the tender was published with a budget of HUF 100 million. Small, medium and large -sized enterprises, budgetary entities and church-related legal entities are eligible.

The tender encourages enterprises and institutions to introduce family-friendly initiatives, programs, and create services. In the recent years many good practices have been implemented in the business and public sector. Such examples include the provision of childcare and kindergarten care, the set up of a playroom, the organization of holiday camps, the introduction of certain paid leave for the vacation period of the child, the organization of various lecture series, and financial contributions to family vacations.

„Title-keeper Green Kindergarten” and „Perpetual Green Kindergarten”

Attitude forming starting at a young age is of fundamental importance, and this is also supported by the Green Kindergartens, in which children receive age-appropriate environmental education based on experience. Instititutions can apply for the titles "Green Kindergarten", "Title-keeper Green Kindergarten” and „Perpetual Green Kindergarten in the application process initiated by the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Interior.

The title is a guarantee that children are educated in an eco-school institution, meaning for example that the design of the premises support a healthy lifestyle, in addition, whenever possible, selective waste collection is ensured and a kindergarten garden is created and cared. Kindergartens also pay attention to shaping environmentally conscious attitude of parents and local communities.

Applicant kindergartens prepare a self-assessment based on the criteria defined in the call, in which they provide an overview of the activities planned on the basis of the prinsiples of sustainabilty and carried out in the kindergarten, the level of environmental education, the characteristics of innovative activities and their operation accordingly. If a kindergarten has been awarded the "Green Kindergarten" title three times, it can apply for the title of "Title-keeper Green Kindergarten" or "Perpetual Green Kindergarten".

Training and increasing kindergarten staff

Childcare assisstant training for kindergartens fits into the five-year technical school system, and as a result of present innovation, the number of support stuff helping preschool teachers is planned to increase. In addition, in order to expand the competencies of kindergarten teachers, the opportunity to obtain an elementary scool teacher diploma within a two-year training will be offered.

The government encourages universities and colleges to set up teacher training centers, in which half of the members of the board responsible for the training content are practitioners, teachers.

2022

The number of nursery school places in Hungary increased significantly, by eighty percent

The number of nursery places increased from 32 thousand to more than 59 thousand between 2010 and 2022. Nursery care is now available in three times more settlements than in 2010. There are almost four times more institutions and services. (In Hungarian: kormany.hu)

“Every child should learn to swim!”  sub-programme started on 1 February 2022

The programme, established by the Hungarian Swimming Association and funded by the Hungarian Government, aims to ensure that all children learn to swim. The goal is to reach more than three hundred thousand children with the involvement of three hundred sport facilities by 2028. As part of this unique programme, swimming education included in the school curriculum as part of the physical education classes is provided free of charge by trained professionals. After completing the curriculum, students will be able to swim one hundred meters in three different swimming strokes continuously, and move safely and confidently in the deep water. The first round of the programme starts with the involvement of about twelve thousand kindergarten and primary school children in twenty cities. The number of cities and participants will expand in further stages. (In Hungarian: kormany.hu)