Staggering crowds at yesterday's protests in Budapest, as students, teachers & allies rally against the crisis of public education in Orbán’s Hungary
👉 Some background to better understand what brought the situation to a boiling point for teachers & their incredible students 🧵
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The immediate trigger was the sacking of several teachers, including Tamás Palya & Katalin Törley (pictured below)
It was retaliation for their civil disobedience action, their only form of protest left after the government outlawed strikes
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But there’s a longer story behind. A key element is defunding public education, to the brink of collapse.
During the past decade, 3 consecutive Orbán-govt’s decreased funding for education by a whopping 16%.
Protesters know: no country can prosper with its future defunded.
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Dissent now means firing— so protesters display incredible courage. But low-pay, chronic teacher-shortages, and constant political humiliation often make them feel they have no other choice.
So just how much a teacher makes in Hungary in 2022?
Net amounts to follow.
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An early-career primary school teacher in Hungary is looking at HUF 170.000, which is around EUR 400/month. No, I did not miss a zero.
A mid-career secondary school teacher is looking at HUF 240.000, or EUR 570.
The maximum one can aspire for is HUF 396.000, or EUR 940.
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But money is just part of the story. Another is centralization & control. Teachers had to become a member of the newly created National Teachers Chamber. Formerly municipal schools were nationalised & brought under the auspices of centrally managed Educational Authorities
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The Central Education Authority was tasked by the government to determine which textbooks teachers could use and what curriculum they must follow to the letter. No proactive creativity, no differentiated education based on different students' levels, no air left to breath.
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Central and Regional Education Authorities retain the right to appoint schools' directors. Politically motivated appointments are rife, the opinion of students', parents', or teachers' associations are rarely taken into account.
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The results are what one would expect. In international comparison, Hungarian students' performance has been dropping sharply over the past years along virtually all metrics. Not their fault, of course, but this clearly demonstrates that there is a BIG problem.
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It is hardly surprising that teachers have had enough. Long-simmering frustration was now brought to the surface with the help of their students, who organised the current protest movement with amazing maturity and aptitude.
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They are joined by tens of thousands of angry parents & allies, who understand that a country's future is being squandered by the incredible cynicism and shortsightedness of the Orbán-government. The masses' strong solidarity with teachers is truly touching.
This is only the beginning. Both teachers & students feel that they have nothing left to lose, that things cannot get worse. They will continue demonstrating, demanding immediate reforms with prior consultation. We are fully behind them. And they need Europe’s support too.
Pics 📸
@DMalatinszky / MalaPhoto (2-11) + @euronewshu (0), @444hu (1)
[Katalin Törley (L), Barbara Molnár (C), Tamás Palya (R), all former teachers of Budapest’s Kölcsey Ferenc Gimnázium]
444.hu/kepek/2022/10/…
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