As in previous years, the academic year in public education will start well this year, regardless of what the left and its press claim - emphasized Bence Rétvári.
spoke to the Hungarian Nation about the teacher-student ratio, teacher training, the career path law and salary increases in connection with the new academic year starting in a few days.
Neither at the end of the previous academic year nor during the summer vacation did the wave of resignations that left-wing parties and trade unions encouraged teachers to do, Bence Rétvári stated. The deputy minister of the Ministry of the Interior reminded me that the unions went on vacation with the assumption that five thousand teachers would resign in the summer because of the new teacher career law.
Compared to this, only a few hundred of the nearly 170,000 people terminated their legal relationship. This means that the number of resignations can only be measured in tenths of a percent, while 67 percent more students were admitted to teaching courses than last year
- added the parliamentary secretary of the ministry.
The proportions are good
Bence Rétvári also spoke about the debate as to whether or not there are enough teachers in Hungary. - The trade unions talk about a significant shortage. At the same time, we see a completely different picture when we compare the Hungarian teacher-student ratio with other EU countries.
The teacher-student ratio in Hungary is the 8th best in the EU. We are on the same level as Italy and Portugal. While we have an average of 10.6 students per teacher, the average in the EU is 12.1 students.
The situation in Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Spain, Latvia, Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, France and the Netherlands is worse than in the Netherlands, listed the government politician, who also drew attention to , that the trend is also improving, because our country improved the ratio by 0.8 in more than ten years. However, he also indicated that this could also have occurred because
while since 2010 the number of students has decreased by nearly 15 percent due to population decline, the number of teachers has decreased by only 2 percent, and their number is constantly hovering around 165,000 and 170,000.
So, Hungary has 10-15 percent more teachers compared to the number of students than the EU average, and the trend is also positive. Hungarian education should be appreciated and not underestimated
he drew attention.
There is supply, there is a vision for the future
Regarding job changes during the summer holidays and at the beginning of the school year, the deputy minister reminded:
during the previous summer vacations, about nine thousand teachers left their schools, but the majority found employment in another public education institution during the vacation.
Some started at the beginning of the new school year, so for example, in the first months of the previous school year, the number of people with active teacher status in public schools increased by about four thousand. So even in recent years, the majority of those who resigned did not leave the field, but changed schools, said Bence Rétvári.
Regarding the supply, according to Bence Rétvári, it is gratifying that in the last six years, the most students were accepted for teacher training this year.
This year too, there have been regular articles that only five chemistry and physics teachers are being trained in the entire country. But let's look at the real numbers! The number of people hired as biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, natural science and science teachers has doubled, from 208 to 416, which means that the number of people starting the science teaching program has finally started to rise, he emphasized, adding:
a total of 18,845 people applied and 10,514 people were hired, which means that the number of people choosing the teaching career increased by two-thirds during the year.
Based on the numbers, there will be additional teachers. In addition, by the time those hired now graduate in five years, the average teacher's salary will be around one million forints
he highlighted.
Career path and salary increase
While during the crisis we announced the largest teacher salary increase since the regime change, the left during its own administration handled the crisis it caused by taking a month's salary from teachers and putting 15,000 teachers on the streets during one academic year.
- reminded Bence Rétvári, who says that the politicians of the left are still working in Brussels for 5-6 million per month so that teachers cannot earn HUF 800,000.
The biggest teacher layoffs are now the most vocally concerned about the number of teachers. At that time, the unions were silent, did not organize a strike, did not encourage resignations, did not try to close the bridge, he noted.
The deputy minister emphasized: for teachers, the new career path law is much more beneficial than the previous one, as it creates the foundations for a salary increase.
The average salary of teachers may rise to HUF 800,000, instead of the maximum of 26, the number of lessons per week will be set at a fixed 24, the number of days off will be increased from 46 to 50, and a large part of the administrative burden will be removed, including the obligation of teachers in Grade I to create a portfolio, the new law expresses respect for teachers, introduces performance pay, i.e. those who deal with children the most and best will be paid the highest
- Bence Rétvári listed the details, according to whom the new career path eliminates the previous regulations punishing young teachers, so the teaching profession may be attractive to more young people starting their careers in the future.
Featured image: Péter Mészáros / Civilek.Info
