The attractiveness and popularity of choosing teaching as a profession are increasing. This year, the number of those admitted to teacher training programs has doubled. There has been a historically significant salary increase while EU and domestic funds are supporting the Teacher Career Model.
Making the teaching profession attractive and raising the salary of teachers is the goal of the program implemented under the Széchenyi Plan Plus Programme, co-financed by Hungary and the European Union. For this, the project titled “Teacher Career Model” (EFOP Plusz-2.1.1-24-2024-00001) contributes with HUF 762.6 billion, and the project titled “Teacher Career Model – Concerning Teachers Dealing with Disadvantaged Students” (EFOP Plusz-2.2.1-24-2024-00001) contributes with HUF 25.8 billion.
The program places great emphasis on ensuring the labour supply of teachers. As part of the “Those Who Were Born for It…” – Teacher Positions 2024 event series, young people participating in teacher training are being addressed. The Ministry of Interior’s public education department, together with the higher education department of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation and nine higher education institutions offering teacher training, provides specific and up-to-date information at their events for students participating in teacher training. Representatives from district centers, vocational training centers, municipalities, church representative, and private providers offer this information to prospective teachers. It is important for those preparing for the profession to understand the intrinsic values of the teaching career, thereby strengthening their commitment as they prepare for their vocation.
The positive impact of the reformed higher education training and admission system, the training scholarships available for those choosing the teaching profession, and the growing salary is also reflected in the increasing number of applicants for teacher training programs in 2024. A total of 101,463 students were admitted to higher education programs starting in September 2024. Compared to previous data, this year the number of students who could start their studies in teacher training programs has doubled and now constitutes 15% of the total.
The most popular teaching fields are preschool education (2,736 students) and special education (2,632 students). A total of 3,346 students were admitted to teacher training programs, of which 554 were for STEM programs. There is exceptionally high interest in short-cycle teacher master’s programs: the number of applicants has exceeded five thousand.
During the 2021-2027 EU development period, each member state designates those operations of strategic importance that significantly contribute to achieving the objectives of the given programme. Hungary refers to these selected operations collectively as Pillars, indicating their importance and the role they play in achieving development policy objectives. One of the Pillars of EFOP Plus is the Teacher Career Model.
