The OECD has acknowledged the aims and accomplishments of Hungarian education policymaking, a government official said.
Commenting on the organization’s Education at a Glance report, Ministry of Innovation and Technology parliamentary secretary Tamás Schanda revealed the publication said Hungarian higher education was on the path to being more international, with the proportion of foreign students rising from 5 to 10 percent of the total between 2010 and 2017, one of the biggest increases among the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
According to MTI, foreigners enrolled in masters courses account for 27 percent of the total. In addition, the proportion of people with tertiary education increased markedly between 2008 and 2018, the number of women rising to 37 percent from 28 percent, while the proportion of men rose to 25 percent from 20 percent in the 25-34 age group.
The secretary said more and more young people have enrolled in higher education, with 89,500 first-year students this year, 4,500 more than the previous year and the highest number since 2014. The government wants to help young Hungarians study at better and more competitive universities and gain valuable degrees so they can find their place on the labor market.
Schanda said the OECD report also noted with approval the government’s plans for vocational training. The proportion of people in vocational training is less than 25 percent, compared with the OECD average of 40 percent, though this year’s admissions data shows that vocational training is becoming increasingly popular, he said.
The government’s vocational training strategy developed jointly with market players provides up-to-date training and an attractive learning environment that will create career paths and livelihoods for participants, this in turn would help to further strengthen Hungary’s economy.