Public education: Whether Hungary receives EU money also depends on the status law

The final state of the status law restricting teachers will greatly influence whether Hungary gets access to EU funds.

Negotiations between the trade unions and the Ministry of the Interior regarding the status law are ongoing, but no substantive agreement has yet been reached.

The draft law contains, among other things, the following points:

• The probationary period would be 6 months instead of 4, during which anyone can be fired without reason,
• the exemption period would be reduced from 8 months to 60 days,
• however, if the employee initiates his termination, the so-called “notice period” (while he must continue to work) would increase from 2 months to 6 months,
• the number of hours of free replacements would be increased from 60 to 80,
• 33-40 hours of non-binding working hours within the institution would be introduced
• the state would have the right to control not only their workplace but also their own electronic devices
• it would be legislated to transfer teachers from one school to another in the school district if necessary

The trade unions have already succeeded in getting the teachers not to check their computers, and concessions have also been made in connection with the transfer.

“This is the government’s negotiation tactic. This is its habit of throwing in very harsh words and then backing out, but it still pushes through the points that are vital to it,” Tamás Totyik, vice-president of the Teachers’ Union (PSZ), told Eduline earlier.

However, according to Free Europe, they expect the bill to be amended in Brussels, because they see that negotiations are ongoing between the advocacy organizations and the competent ministry.

The salary arrangement for teachers is also reflected in the Hungarian recovery plan and in the Human Resources Development Operational Program Plus (EFOP+) paid from cohesion policy funds, with approximately 1.8 billion euros allocated from the latter until 2025 for the gradual increase of teachers’ salaries. In order to obtain EU support, the Parliament must vote and then enact the law transposing the wage increase into law. In March, the government published the draft of the relevant law, as well as the status law.

The EU committee monitors that the status law does not in any way undermine the goal of improving the attractiveness of the teaching profession, and that the government complies with the commitment made in the operational program that it will engage in meaningful social dialogue with the largest trade unions and will strive for a consensus with them, especially with regard to rights already acquired. If this is not done in this way, they can hinder the acquisition of funds.