Hungarian teachers protest state of education

Описание: (1 Sep 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Budapest – 1 September 2022
1. Wide of members of Hungary's Teachers' Union (PSZ) in front of their HQ
2. Mid of union members, wearing black and holding black umbrellas, going into the street
3. Pan of protesters
4. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Tamas Totyik, deputy chairman of the Teachers' Union (PSZ):
"The government has completely neglected the education system. And the main problem here is not the wages, but the rigidity, obsolescence, and disregard for the whole system."
5. Various shots of union members holding black umbrellas while protesting
6. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Tamas Totyik, deputy chairman of the Teachers' Union (PSZ):
"In order to transform the Hungarian system into a modern, 21st century education one, the most important step is to have the right number of teachers with the right qualifications. And this requires adequate salaries so that they are not lured away by the private sector."
7. Various of union members holding black umbrellas while protesting
8. SOUNDBITE (Hungarian) Edit B. Szabo, teacher, union member:
"I don't like to talk about pay, because being a teacher is not just about money. But we have to talk about it. We are led to believe that we will one day be able to get 80 per cent of what graduates are paid. Why is that?"
9. Wide of demonstrating union members
STORYLINE
Hungary's Teachers' Union held a protest on the first day of the new school semester, criticising the government for neglecting the public education system.
Union members stood outside their headquarters holding black umbrellas to highlight issues from teachers qualifications to low wages.
In Hungary, public school teachers have for years complained of low wages and high workloads that have served to dissuade potential new teachers from entering the profession, creating a major shortage of educators and growing discontent.
Tamas Totyik, deputy chairman of the Teachers' Union (PSZ) said that to bring the Hungarian education system into the 21st century, "the most important step is to have the right number of teachers with the right qualifications, and this requires adequate salaries so that they are not lured away by the private sector."
The pay basis for teachers in Hungary hasn't changed since 2014, resulting in net wages for entry level teachers and experienced ones, starting at 207,000 forints (500 US dollars) a month.
Following a series of unsuccessful consultations with Hungary's government on raising wages by 95% and reducing working hours, unions have called on teachers in the first days of the fall semester to continue a series of strikes and work stoppages begun early this year.
Since Hungary's government tightened strike laws in May, limiting the conditions under which teachers can strike legally, the union is also encouraging educators to consider acts of civil disobedience, and has demanded the restoration of the right to strike.
To combat the teacher shortage, many schools are now seeking educators of any specialization to teach physics, biology, chemistry, foreign languages and other classes because there are not enough specialized teachers to fill the positions, a step which essentially reducing the teachers to daytime caretakers.
Unions have also complained of a process of centralization in Hungary's education system whereby curricula, textbooks and decision making are all controlled by a central body formed in 2012 by Hungary's nationalist government.
Students have formed organizations to act in solidarity with their teachers, organizing protests and supporting them in their plans to strike.

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