Ministry of Interior decided its time to ask Hungarian parents for their opinion on the public education system

For months now, Hungarian teachers, students and parents have been demonstrating together, not only for a raise in teachers’ wages, but also for higher quality public education and a reduction in the pointless burdens on both teachers and students.

The unions have repeatedly tried to negotiate with the government on what action is necessary, but have mostly been met with rejection. It is in this context that the Ministry of Interior (which is responsible for education, as Hungary has had no separate Ministry of Education) has now decided it's time to ask parents of students in public education institutions what they think about the Hungarian education system.

In a statement sent to the state news agency (MTI) the Ministry of Interior said that among other things, the questions touch on the safe and orderly school environment, the time needed to complete homework, organized activities for pupils outside school hours, and the objective evaluation of school performance. In addition to the questions in the questionnaire, parents and guardians are invited to send any other comments or suggestions to the Ministry.

The Ministry of Interior will use KRÉTA (the public education's online learning management and administrative system) to channel the responses, but the parents' responses will not be visible to homeroom teachers and faculty members. The questionnaire, which can be completed anonymously, will be made available on KRÉTA in a scheduled manner in December 2022 and should be filled in by midnight on 15 December.

Given that a few weeks ago hackers managed to break into the system, which is mandatory in all public education institutions, and were able to access almost any data, KRÉTA is not seen as a secure platform by most. Not only was all student data leaked, but so did the source codes, databases and correspondence of the company that developed the system.

The Ministry of Interior also said in a statement that just like when it had carried out a similar survey among teachers twice before, they are seeking the views of those most involved in education. They further stated that the Ministry of Interior is committed to improving the quality of education and to ensuring that children are prepared for the challenges of the future. It is for this reason that the ministry wants to find out about the views of those most concerned, which will be taken into account when developing the plans for reforming the public education system.