Students decry state cuts and other changes

University students and administrators are complaining of a climate of uncertainty as the government rolls out changes in the higher education system, including sharp cuts in the number of state-sponsored students and an obligation for them to work in Hungary after graduation, writes Palko Karasz for The New York Times.

Education Minister Rozsa Hoffmann travelled to Brussels last week to discuss the changes, which have raised concerns in the European Commission. “The education and higher education reforms intend to serve modernisation and equal access to studies and culture, while the country has to fight a heavy debt burden,” Hoffmann said after meeting with the European Union education commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou, the MTI news service reported.

But Vassiliou said the new laws, which went into effect on 1 January, might not allow Hungary to reach the Europe 2020 education targets. The targets include lowering the dropout rate to under 10% and increasing the qualifications for degrees in Hungary to 30%, said the commissioner’s press service. The minister said Hungary wanted to “prevent the appearance of not [being] willing to comply with obligations it took on”.
Full report on The New York Times site