Every level of the education system will receive increased funding in next year’s budget and the Government is not planning to introduce any measures that could result in teacher cutbacks, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry for Human Capacities Bence Rétvári said on Saturday at a press conference in Budapest.
The budget for secondary education will rise to 209 billion forints (EUR 685 million) next year from this year’s 196 billion, while the budget for higher education will be increased by 7 billion forints, he announced.
In addition, primary and secondary schools will receive an additional 50 billion forints via the Klebelsberg Institute, which manages the education system, to be spent on renovation-refurbishment and equipment.
Mr. Rétvári pointed out that teachers were the first profession for whom the government introduced a career model, including wage increases, adding that next year’s budget has 38 billion forints earmarked for further pay rises, which will also continue in 2016 and 2017.
He also said that the budget for children’s school meals will be higher than ever. Government spending in this area was 29 billion forints four years ago, 53 billion forints this year and will increase to 57 billion next year. In addition, some 650-700 thousand pupils will be eligible to receive free textbooks in 2015 due to the gradual expansion of the scheme introduced by the Government last year.