Hungarian Students Want to Save Hungarian Higher Education
Last week Prime Minister Viktor
Orban's government announced new cuts in higher education. From the next
academic year the government plans to fully finance only 10,480 university
students, two-thirds fewer than this year (which is already significantly fewer
than before). They will partly finance the tuition of 46,000 more, these
46 000 students will be practically forced to either take student loan and
become indebted, or leave Hungary for those EU countries which provide free
higher education. An additional problem is that the government made this
decision without consulting professionals involved in higher education or
student unions, and the decision was made public only in December, one and a
half month before the application deadlines. Consequently, future applicants
could not know whether there would be state-financed places at the faculties to
which they might have prepared themselves for years.
This was the very last drop after
last year’s radical cuts. Hungarian students now are reacting with passionate
demonstrations, in high schools, university buildings and in the streets as
well, despite the freezing cold. The students, staging the second spontaneous
protest march through the streets of Budapest, are demanding that the
government give up its plans and start a public dialogue about the reform of
higher education, involving student organizations and universities.
Demonstrations are not taking
place only in the capital. Students of Pécs, Szeged, Miskolc and Nyíregyháza
also organize protesting activities. Since students and prospective students
usually have parents and grandparents, older members of the society started to
realize what is going on in our country. We will see next year how many
thousands of Hungarians emigrate because of not having opportunity to study in
their homeland. Hungary has a long tradition to give its intelligentsia to the
world by making their lives impossible here. Nevertheless, the protestations
will continue next week, now there is still some hope that the political elite will
understand the simple message of the students: “Do not send us away!”
Agnes Kelemen
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