Until the end of the school year, 15 June, digital education outside the classroom will be maintained. However, nursery schools and creches will return to normal operations already from the second half of May, the Minister of State for Public Education announced on the Hungarian government’s Facebook account on Wednesday.

In the video message, Zoltán Maruzsa said from 2 June teachers and students may meet in schools for educational purposes, may hold consultations in small groups and may organise individual sessions in order to reinforce the body of knowledge acquired in the past few months or to help students who may have fallen behind recently. Pedagogical services will also be allowed to perform their duties, he added.

He said from 2 June supervision will have to be organised in all schools for children. Between 2 and 15 June, schools should organise primarily support and additional learning activities for children attending supervision, while between 16 and 26 June teachers can start preparing for the next school year. Until 26 June meals will also have to be provided for children, he added.

The Minister of State said mass events, farewell parties and school year-end ceremonies will not be allowed. However, students may gather in smaller groups, by classes, and smaller ceremonies can be organised for the presentation of the year-end certificates. Consultations regarding summer camps are still ongoing, he said.

Mr Maruzsa also highlighted that the falling rate of the spread of the coronavirus epidemic allows creches and nursery schools in the countryside to reopen from 25 May, while metropolitan creches and nursery schools will be allowed to return to normal operations from 2 June. Institutions will be required to receive children also in the absence of special certificates. This is necessary because in many cases parents have no leave left, and must go back to work, the Minister of State said justifying the measure.