Education in Hungary

Datas of Hungarian EducationPrimary languages Hungarian

System type Central

Literacy(2003)

Total 99.4

Male 99.5

Female 99.3

Enrollment (2011) Children Teachers

Total 1,653,562 133,279(female:114,920!)

Kindergarten 341,198 30,399

Primary 747,364 72,481

Secondary 565,000 47,852

Post secondary 421,000

About the language

• The official language of instruction is Hungarian, but a number of ethnic and national minorities (e.g. German, Romanian, Slovene, Serb) in educational institutions use their own languages as first or second language at primary and secondary level of teaching.

An example for ethnic school

The system

• Education in Hungary is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16.

• Attending kindergarten is compulsory only from the age of 5: during the last year at

kindergarten, children are prepared for school.

• Children start primary school when they reach school-maturity, usually in the year in which they have their 6th birthday (7th if they were born after May 31).

A kindergarten

School-based programme for children aged 3–7. Includes basic skills development, pre-reading, drawing, singing, and school preparation.

Basic education: primary school

Generally

Basic education in Hungary is provided by the general (primary) school, during two

cycles of 4 years. Children attend general (primary) school up to the age of 16, after which they have to choose another school.

Most of teachers are women

General school primary level, Grades 1-4.

Subjects:• Maths• Hungarian Literature,

Grammar• Science• Music• P.E.• I.C.T• Art• Craft• Foreign Language

Compulsory number of lessons in a school year Grades 1-4

Subject Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4

Hungarian 296 296 277,5 259

Maths 148 148 129,5 111

I.C.T. 18,5

Science 37 37 18,5

Foreign language

111

Music 37 37 55,5 55,5

Art 55,5 55,5 55,5 55,5

Craft 37 37 37 37

P.E. 111 111 111 111

Free 18,5 18,5 - -

Altogether 740 740 740 832

General school primary level, Grades 5-8.

Subjects • Literature, Grammar• Maths • Music• Art • Physical education, • Biology (from 7th grade)• Geography (from 7th

grade)

• History (from 5th grade)

• Physics (from 7th grade) • Chemistry (from 7th

grade) • Foreign language:

English, German, French-before 1990 Russian was compulsory

• ICT

Compulsory number of lessons in a school year Grades 5-8

Subject Class 5 Class 6 Class 7 Class 8

Hungarian 148 148 148 148

Maths 148 111 111 111

I.C.T. 18,5

History 55 55 74 74

Science 37 37 Chem.:55 Chem.:55

Geo.:55Biol.:55

Physics:55

Geogr.:55Biol.:55

Physics:55Foreign

language111 111 111 111

Music 37 37 37 37

Art/Craft 37/37 37/37 37/37 37/37

P.E. 111 111 111 111

Altogether 832 832 925 925

Changes

• There will be many changes in the new law on educational system in Hungary, we are waiting for it. e.g. P.E. every day-this year in grades 1 and 5

• From January the government will conduct the shools in every respect: e.g. who what will teach, the person of headmaster-until now it was the right of the local authorities.

After Primary School

• Secondary education usually lasts for 4 years. In gimnáziums it can also last for 5, 6 or 8 years depending on how many years the student spent in primary school. After the 8th grade of primary school the student goes to 9th grade, which is actually the 1st year of secondary school.

Secondary schools 1. grammal school or non-

vocational; prepares students for higher education; teaches at least 2 foreign languages

2. technical or vocational school you can get a job here and it also prepares for higher education

3. vocational school for the weaker stundents- it gives only a job

• After finishing secondary school, students take a school-leaving final exam. This consists of exams on five subjects: written exam in mathematics, oral and written exams in literature and grammar, a foreign language, history, and written and/or oral exam in a subject of the student's choice. These exams also serve as an entry exam to universities and colleges.

Higher Education

• Higher education is divided betweencolleges and universities. College education generally lasts for 5 years, while university education lasts for 5 to 6 or more years depending on the course undertaken. University PhD courses usually take 3 years to complete.

Eötvös Lóránt University in Budapest