European Trade Union Committee for Education

Following the demonstrations of students, teachers and parents all across Hungary on 3 February, teachers’ trade unions called a demonstration by 13 February 2016. Thousands of demonstrating teachers demanded systemic changes in education. Ms Piroska Gallone, President of PSZ (SEH) and Ms Zsuzsa Szabo, Vice President of the PSZ (SEH), the biggest Hungarian trade union for education, called the Hungarian government to stop  ruining education through its reforms.

The strike committee compiled a list of 25 demands including:

• radical cuts in the curriculum and number of lessons for children,
• raising the age of compulsory education to 18 years as it was before the reforms,
• restoration of the earlier employer and financial management rights of headmasters,
• lifting mandatory working hours for teachers and reducing their administration burden.

The strike committee has not been dissolved and the discussions with the government continue. According to the negation results, the Hungarian teacher union PSZ (SHE) is prepared to organize another strike and to continue the fight.

More information (in Hungarian) and pictures on the demonstration: http://www.pedagogusok.hu/blog/psz-pedag%C3%B3gus-t%C3%BCntet%C3%A9s-20160213-%E2%80%9Eelj%C3%B6tt-az-id%C5%91%E2%80%9D