The interior ministry said on Monday that new draft legislation supporting the careers of teachers serves to improve the quality of public education, adding teachers could expect further wage hikes and streamlined advancement.
The ministry said it has been in talks on the new draft legislation with the National Teachers’ Chamber and the National Public Education Council for a month and a half. The bills will be submitted to the government once the consultations are concluded, the statement said. The draft proposals are aimed at establishing a new career model for teachers and improving the quality of public education, the ministry said. Children come first in education, it said, adding that teachers could expect further wage increases and streamlined advancement. Those who do a better job teaching and focus more on the children can earn more money, they said. The ministry said it was “regrettable” that PDSZ, which “barely represents one percent of teachers”, continued to “act as a political organization of the left, and organizes strikes and demonstrations instead of being a professional partner in improving education for children, parents’ satisfaction and the situation of teachers together”. The statement noted that the government raised teachers’ wages by 10% from January, but will bump them up to 21% retroactively “as soon as Hungary receives the European Union funding it is entitled to”. Wages may increase by 25% in 2024 and by up to 30% in 2025, compared with 2021 levels, it said. The government is committed to having teachers’ wages reach 80% of the average wage of degree holders by 2025, it said.