Protests demanding improvement in the state of public education continue

Protests demanding improvement in Hungary's public education system continued yesterday in Szeged, as well as country-wide.

A new set of laws amending and restricting the administrative and decision-making processes of Hungarian primary and secondary schools would have entered into force on June 1, 2023. Protests were organized country-wide for this day, resulting in demonstrations in 15 cities, including Szeged.

Protest in Szeged on June 1, 2023. Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify

Strikes and protests concerning the situation of the educational system in Hungary have been going on since the beginning of 2022. Since several months of negotiations between teachers and the Ministry of Human Resources did not lead to a result, in the first month of 2022, the Democratic Union of Teachers (PDSZ) and the Union of Teachers (PSZ) announced a two-hour warning strike, followed by the announcement of an indefinite strike in March, demanding an improvement in the state of public education, an increase in the wages of those working in kindergartens and schools, and a reduction in their workload.

An attempt from the government to restrict the right of teachers to strike triggered even more resistance. Several of those who took part in the strikes were dismissed, while many teachers have quit on their own due to financial or moral reasons, or both. The teacher unions' demands have not been met ever since.