Policy Document

Act 190 of 2011 on national public education

Year

2011

Country

Hungary

Topic

Education

Subtopic

Compulsory Schooling

Main implications

The act reduced the upper age limit of compulsory education from 18 years to 16 years.

Benefits & Requirements

Coverage: Eligible groups or beneficiaries

Section 45 (1): In Hungary every child shall be obliged to participate in the institutional educational system and to fulfil his or her obligation of compulsory education.

Age range

6 - 16

Duration (numbers of years of compulsory education stipulated by this document)

10

ISCED levels included in compulsory education

ISCED 1-2

Dedication (number of hours per week stipulated by this document)

Number of compulsory lessons: 1st – 3rd grade: 25 lessons per week 4th grade: 27 lessons per week 5th – 6th grade: 28 lessons per week 7th – 8th grade: 31 lessons per week 9th grade: 35 lessons per week 10th grade: 36 lessons per week

Is educational tracking implemented or modified by this document?

Yes

If yes, age when students are tracked for the first time

6

Education and training required for a compulsory school teacher stipulated by this document

In lower grades – primary school teacher’s degree (College) 5th – 8th grade – secondary school teacher (College) Grades above the 9th – university-level secondary school teacher (University)

Is the compulsory education of children of undocumented migrants granted by this document?

Section 92: Minors who do not have Hungarian citizenship shall be obliged to fulfil compulsory education in Hungary in case if a) they shall be granted the same rights as Hungarian citizens pursuant to the provisions of the Asylum Act, b) they exercise th

Read the Law

Original full text source in native language

Magyar Közlöny, (Hungarian Official Gazette) No. 162 of 29. 12. 2011.

Original full text web source in native language

http://jogszabalykereso.mhk.hu

Comments & Clarifications

Date of effect: 1 September 2012, but certain elements will take effect at a later date or in progressive system. Special data for the selected policy/category: Age range: The child reaches the age of compulsory schooling in the year after the year between 1 January and 31 August of which he or she reaches the age of six years. In the case of those children, for whom the committee of experts so proposes, that they may benefit from the childcare provided by the kindergarten for a further period of one educational year, and shall become obliged to attend compulsory education thereafter. The fulfilment of compulsory education begins on the first school day of the given school year. If the child attains the level of maturity needed for the entering into the schooling system earlier, the Government Office, upon request of the parents and on the basis of the opinion of the committee of experts, may authorise that the child begin the fulfilment of compulsory education before he or she reaches the age of six years. (The new regulation relating to the beginning of compulsory education enters into force on 1 January 2013 according to the present act, but this date later has been amended to 1 September 2015). Compulsory education lasts until the end of the school year in which the student reaches the age of 16. In the case of students with special education needs, compulsory education may be extended until the end of the school year in which they reach the age of 23. It is the head of the school who makes the decision about the extension of compulsory education on the basis of the expert opinion of the committee of experts. (The new regulation relating to the end of compulsory education entered into force on 1 September 2012, together with the transitional provision pursuant to which the age limit of compulsory education shall be reduced for the first time in respect of those students who will be in 8th grade or lower in the school year 2011/12.)

Secondary Literature & Sources

Secondary literature

Kazuska M.: "A tankötelezettség múltja, jelene és jövője" [The past, present and future of compulsory education]. Miskolci Jogi Szemle 7(1) (2012): 135-142.
Balázs, É., Kocsis, M., & Vág, I. "Jelentés a magyar közoktatásról 2010". OFI, Budapest (2011).

Author

Judit Monostori
Hungarian Demographic Research Institute (HDRI)

Data collected in the framework of the Population Europe Research Finder and Archive (PERFAR)

Cite as

SPLASH-db.eu (2014): Policy: "Act 190 of 2011 on national public education" (Information provided by Judit Monostori). Available at: https://splash-db.eu [Date of access].