Focusing on public education, the Civil Solidarity Forum Club Miskolc invites intellectual patriots to a round table discussion. I want to explore gaps, difficulties and possible solutions. The participants in the discussion are experienced teachers. They obviously talk about the lack of teachers, contact hours and working hours, the importance of accountability, discipline and setting an example, further and retraining, the teacher's career path, and last but not least, salaries.

INVITING

The Miskolc Club of the Civil Unity Forum, in cooperation with the ÉLETFA Foundation for Social and Environmental Culture, the ÉLETMŰTÁRS Art and Civics Association, the Éltető Lélek Foundation, the Circle of Poetry Friends, respectfully invites you to the House of Science and Technology (Görgey A. u. 5.) For the discussion on public education entitled " The nation's day-to-day employees"

Participants of the round table:

Dr. Tibor Ábrám is the director of the József Lévay Reformed High School and Student Home in Miskolc

Gábor Cseke is the director of the Fazekas Street Primary School in Miskolc

Csaba Tiszlavicz is the director of Prügyi Móricz Zsigmond Primary School

Attila Mokrai is the director of the Károly Koós Construction Vocational Training School of Miskolc SzC

Gyula Holló is the former principal of Komlóstető Primary School, vice president of the CÖF Club Miskolc

Dr. Attila Lengyel ny. associate professor, president of the CÖF Club Miskolc

Contributor: Dr. Rita Hortai, president of the

Asztalos Julianna Versbaratok Circle

Education, especially public education, is the area of ​​society's functioning that everyone knows and has experience with, since as a participant, and later as a parent, they are part of this human-shaping activity.

The teachers, the teachers, the pedagogues as a whole, who after Ferenc Móra can rightly be called the day laborers of the nation, in the previous years earned recognition both morally and financially. The social prestige of teachers was outstanding even during the communist dictatorship. Unfortunately, this recognition was already worn out during the Kádár era, and the liberalization that followed the system change only further eroded it. Social recognition was - obviously - followed by material "recognition", as a result of which teachers can rightly be considered the nation's daily wage earners.

Remember, this is not the case only in our country.
This is also the case in the countries to the west of us that are called developed, there are also few teachers, especially vocational teachers, and their salaries are not top-rated. However, we cannot deny the fact either, since we all know, because we talk about it among ourselves, that the natural science education of secondary school graduates is decreasing. About 20 years ago, a colleague of mine at the university in Debrecen complained that their first-year students had to be trained not only in chemistry and physics, but also in mathematics (it was no different in Miskolc). The numbers of the PISA assessments are also more thought-provoking than gratifying.

We cannot dispute the low salaries of teachers. The government has also admitted that it is ready to remedy the issue. If the political opposition did not oppose it, the issue would probably be settled. The unions must "fight" for the wage, but not in a joint demonstration between teachers, students and parents. In my opinion, children belong in the classroom, not on the street. They go to school because they are not yet there to make independent decisions on certain issues, they are there to learn and develop their character. Every example is lame, but I'll say it anyway. At the beginning of December, the teacher writes in the first grader's checker: The child can't read. The parent's answer: He goes there to learn. But the following questions are more serious than that. How will the teacher classify the child with whom they protested in the street. Neta, how will you discipline him? Until now, the students' rights are too broad (they are not new since Bálint Magyar's ministry, we would like to forget some of their consequences, for example student or parent atrocities), what will happen after this? Can the child or the parent hold the teacher to account even more harshly, now also for their street support? I think this is really pedagogy!! It would be a mistake to forget that. Not even about the rude, more than once obscene speech and signs used at the demonstration! There were many teachers around them, but there was no one who said, well, not this! Will these children then talk to the teacher in this tone?

The professional organizations should deal with professional issues, the trade union with the representation of interests. Make suggestions to the main authorities, initiate a negotiation, climb back out the window if the door is closed. Of course, compromises must also be made during the negotiations, while sticking to their basic principles, expecting the partner's willingness to compromise. Of course, vice versa.

In connection with a problem, I like to ask myself what I missed to cause this situation to arise. I am convinced that the teachers' professional and trade unions should also start from here.

That is why we, civilians, are initiating this conversation.
We want to explore gaps, difficulties and possible solutions. The participants in the discussion are experienced teachers. Obviously, we are talking about the lack of teachers, contact hours and working hours, the importance of accountability, discipline and setting an example, further and retraining, the teacher's career path, and last but not least, salaries. We do it in order to contribute to raising the level of knowledge and moral standards of society. We also do not want to forget the awareness that loudness and arrogance do not replace the ability of a minority to assert its interests against the majority. Of course, if the majority agrees to make their voice heard.

We welcome all interested parties on April 20, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. in the House of Science and Technology.

Dr. Attila Lengyel
is the president of the CÖF Club Miskolc

Cover photo: MTI/Balázs Mohai