Hungary

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The list below shows the initiatives that exist in Hungary.

Hungary in a nutshell

Map of Hungary

Hungary, officially the Republic of Hungary (in Hungarian: Magyarország) is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. The territory of Hungary covers 93030 km² and the population is around 10 million inhabitants. Its capital is Budapest. The official language is Hungarian, also known as Magyar.

Slightly more than one half of Hungary's landscape consists of flat to rolling plains of the Carpathian Basin, but the western part has hills and low mountains. Hungary is divided in two by its main waterway, the Danube (Duna); other large rivers include the Tizsa and Dráva, while Transdanubia contains Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe. Hungary has a Continental climate.

Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU and is a Schengen state. The present form of government is parliamentary republic (since 1989). Today, Hungary is a high-income economy, and a regional leader regarding certain economic markets.

Administratively, Hungary is divided into 19 counties regrouped in 7 regions.

Hungarian education policy

Horizontally, the administrative responsibilities are shared between the Ministry of Education and other ministries (primarily the Ministry of Employment and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Interior). Vertically, the administrative control is decentralized and the managing responsibility is shared among the central (national), the local (regional) and institutional levels. The local governments administer pre-primary, primary and secondary education. The different establishments enjoy a fair degree of decision-making autonomy not only in terms of organization and functioning but also with regard to their budgets. Most pupils attend public-sector schools, which are administered and organized by the public authorities, primarily the local governments. The financing of educational institutions is sector neutral. State and private institutions receive funding according to the same criteria. The basic principles of operation, organization, management and financing of the Hungarian education and training systems are regulated by four Acts adopted by the Hungarian Parliament: • Act LXXIX of 1993 on Public Education; • Act LXXVI of 1993 on Vocational Education and Training; • Act CXXXIX of 2005 on Higher Education; and • Act CI of 2001 on Adult Education.

All of the above acts provide for the full respect of basic democratic principles and humanistic values enshrined in the Hungarian Constitution and the relevant international conventions and covenants, including the Community’s legal instruments. They provide for the full respect of the personal freedoms of students, prohibit and sanction any form of discrimination based on race, national and ethnic identity, beliefs, religion or social origin in access to, and participation in, education, and strictly enforce the principle of equal treatment.

The principle of vertical or transversal transition within the system, the exclusion of dead ends being a basic consideration, primary, secondary and higher education as well as adult education and training are built one upon the other. Nonetheless further efforts are needed to ensure real and unobstructed lifelong access to education and training for all irrespectively of age, social status or individual living conditions through enforcing better transparency, transferability between the different sub-sectors of education and training, as well as through the formal recognition and validation of knowledge, skills and competences acquired by different forms of formal, non-formal and informal learning.

The PUBLIC EDUCATION ACT provides for all children living in the territory of Hungary a free eight-year general education and free upper secondary level general or vocational education. Under the Act, compulsory and free education starts at the age of 5 (ISCEd 0), corresponding to the last year of pre-primary education, and finishes at the age of 18 (ISCEd 3). At the end of upper secondary studies students must pass secondary school leaving examinations in order to be admitted to higher education. The Act also regulates the rights and obligations of students, that of the institutions’ pedagogical and administrative staff, as well as the rights of parents to form parents’ associations in schools and to have a say in matters regarding the education of their children. The accreditation and subsidy of textbooks is regulated by a specific decree. The responsibility of the choice of textbooks falls on the teaching staff, while the Ministry of Education and Culture approves the list of the eligible textbooks.

The VOCATIONAL TRAINING ACT regulates matters regarding upper secondary school based as well as higher vocational education and training, with special regard to areas falling outside the provisions of the Public Education and Higher Education Act. The Act addresses issues related to the recognition of professional qualifications, establishes the procedures regarding regulated professions, especially those requiring examinations and listed in the National Register of Qualifications. It also provides for the status of trainees, the contractual responsibilities of the employers assuming their practical training. Furthermore the Act contains provisions on the modalities of participation of the employers’ representative professional bodies (so-called industrial or trade chambers) in curricular development and professional examination procedures.

Te recently amended HIGHER EDUCATION ACT, while maintaining the complete respect for academic freedom and autonomy of higher educational intuitions is aimed at creating favorable legal and policy conditions for the accession of the Hungarian higher education to the European Higher Education Area. In accordance with the principles and objectives of the bologna process the new Act enforces the full scale introduction of the three-cycle structure and the mandatory use of the credit system (ECTS). Its provisions encourage international mobility and contribute to the strengthening of the financial autonomy of the institutions and the development of their R+d+I capacities, and encourage closer co-operation with economic actors.

Education and training opportunities falling outside formal education are mostly regulated by the ADULT EDUCATION ACT. The Act establishes general rules for all adult training providers (educational institutions, legal or natural persons, etc.) regarding the modalities of organizing and financing any adult training programme. It provides for a mandatory accreditation of all adult education and training programmes or training provider institutions by a representative body, the National Adult Education Accreditation board.

Description of the Educational System in Hungary

Pre-primary education

This educational level is considered as a crucially important integrated part of the school system. It caters for children from 3 to 7 years of age. Participation in pre-primary education at this level (óvoda) is optional, except for the final year (beyond age 5), which is compulsory. Public-sector institutions may only charge for services additional to their basic tasks, including for example extra-curricular activities, meals, excursions, etc. Currently, the attendance rate with regard to the age groups 3-5, is just above 86%. The average duration of participation of children aged 3-7 in pre-primary education is just over 3 years (3.3), which is the highest average value in Europe.

Primary education

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). Primary education can last for 4, 6 or 8 years. 8-year education is the most widespread; the other two options were introduced in the early 1990s. Subjects include literature, grammar, mathematics, music, art, Physical education, environmental studies (from 1st to 5th grade), biology (from 6th grade), geography (from 6th grade), history (from 5th grade), history of art, physics (from 6th grade), chemestry (from 7th grade), one or two foreign languages (usually English, German or French). Before 1990 Russian was compulsory.

Secondary education

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. Since 1997 the numbering of years in secondary school are following that of primary school (i. e. after the 8th grade of primary school the student goes to 9th grade, which is actually the 1st year of secondary school.) There are three kinds of secondary schools: • Gimnázium (non-vocational; prepares students for higher education; teaches at least 2 foreign languages) • Szakközépiskola (vocational school but also prepares for higher education) • Szakiskola (vocational school) After finishing secondary school, students take a school-leaving exam (Matura or final exam, érettségi in Hungarian). This consists from 2005 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 between colleges and universities. College education generally lasts for 4 years, while university education lasts for 4 to 6 years depending on the course undertaken. University PhD courses usually take 3 years to complete. Before students get their degree, they must pass an intermediate level language exam in the foreign language of their choice. English and German are the most popular. The number of Spanish-learners has been growing in the last few years.

Higher Education system in Hungary

Within the framework of the Bologna Process the gradual transition from a pre-Bologna higher education system resulting in Egyetemi oklevél (university-level degree) or Főiskolai oklevél (college-level degree) to a higher education system based on three consecutive cycles started in 2004 in Hungary. This description presents the Bologna-type training, and was prepared in 2008 for diplomas awarded within the Bologna-type system.

Types of Institutions and Institutional Control The establishment and operation of higher education institutions are regulated by the 2005 Higher Education Act. Operating within the legal framework of the Higher Education Act, Hungarian higher education institutions are autonomous, state-recognised, state or non-state (church or private) institutions. The state-recognised institutions are listed in the Annex of the Higher Education Act. There are two types of higher education institutions, egyetem (university) and főiskola (college). Both universities and colleges may offer courses in all three cycles. A university is a higher education institution that is eligible to provide Master courses in at least two fields of study, and to offer Doctorate course as well as to confer Doctoral degrees. The rules applying to universities offering courses in the field of art or religious education are different from the aforementioned.

Types of Programmes and Degrees Awarded The consecutive training cycles of the higher education leading to a higher education degree are alapképzés (Bachelor course), mesterképzés (Master course) and doktori képzés (Doctorate course). Bachelor and Master courses are taught in consecutive cycles, in the form of divided training, or in cases specified by law in the form of undivided, one-tier training.

In addition to the aforementioned, higher education institutions may conduct higher-level vocational training and postgraduate specialist training, as well as can offer adult education within the framework of lifelong learning.

Higher education institutions apply a credit system based on the European Credit Transfer System. Accordingly, one credit stands for 30 hours of student workload.

Landscape of Virtual initiatives in Hungary

Network

INIGIS

Name	European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN)
Status	international educational association / professional network / community
Field	education (global)
Activities	important EU project in e-learning foster developments and collaboration in the field of e-learning and distance education research in open distance and e-learning holds annual e-learning conference + other conference publication
Contact	Dr András Szûcs
Parnership / Network	European level
Focus group
URL	EDEN
!	Office in Budapest

Education institutes

Most important

Dennis Gabor College

Name	Gábor Dénes Főiskola (Hungarian name) Dennis Gabor Applied University (DGAU) (English name)
Status	private applied university
Field	economics, computing and information technology
Activities	Traditional learning Distance learning e-learning (all the educational materials are avaible in e-format on ILIAS platform Participation to ILIAS meeting and EDEN Conference
Contact	?
Parnership / Network	National : SZAMALK - Education and Information Technology Ldt SZAMALK - Open Business School MTA SZTAKI - Computer and Automation Research Institute MATISZ + international network (for exchange)
Focus group	International student (50%)
URL	Dennis Gabor College website
!	First institution to develop distance learning in Hungary. First also in e-learning.

SZAMALK - Education and Information Technology Ldt

Name	SZAMALK - Education and Information Technology Ldt
Status	privately owned educational institution
Field	information technology, economics, managerial and business
Activities	E-learning material development (ILIAS platform) e-learning projects organisation of workshop online distance education
Contact	Dr. Zárda Sarolta Ph.D / Miklos Havass
Parnership / Network	Dennis Gabor College (BSc) SZÁMALK Vocational School SZAMALK OBS (Open Business School)
Focus group	Carry out educational activities ranging from primary school level to MBA degrees 10.000 students/year
URL	the web page of SZAMLAK interesting list of ODL and e-learning projects

SZAMALK - Open business school

Name
Status
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MTA SZTAKI - Computer and Automation Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Name
Status
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University of Miskolc - North Hungarian Regional Distance Education Center

Name	UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC - NORTH HUNGARIAN REGIONAL DISTANCE EDUCATION CENTER
Status
Field	Econimics
Activities	Distance learning. e-learning : linked to running projects e_learning : COEDU e-learning platform.
Contact	Maria Kocsis Baan
Parnership / Network	Collaborate in EADTU Network
Focus group
URL	Miskolc university - regional distance education center web site e-learning solutions developed by the university
!	Distance learning center started within a PHARE programmme (IDEA). 13 Other centers. Network.

Budapest Business School - Faculty of Commerce, Catering and Tourism

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Status
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Budapest Univertiy of Technology and Economics (distance learning and adult training center)

Name	Centre for Learning Innovation and Adult Learning - Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME)
Status	Part of university
Field	information technology, media
Activities	adult learning activities Course develpoment Publication Quality Research development
Contact	Dr. András Szűcs - director
Parnership / Network
Focus group	The Budapest University of Technology and Economics = 20 000 students
URL	http://portal.bme.hu/langs/en/default.aspx center of learning inovation and adult learning

Association

MATISZ

participation to education progammes, projects