President Katalin Novák said the law adopted by parliament on teachers’ career paths on Tuesday is materially different from the draft legislation at the root of recent protests in Hungary.
President Novák said she signed the bill into law on Thursday. She added that many controversial points of the original bill, which gave rise to protests, have been omitted or significantly changed. “The content of this law is different from the [draft] that caused the protests. I have studied the text and considered the legislative intent behind the law on teachers’ career paths, and decided that the new law ensures an operational public education system, sets up a clear framework and lays the groundwork for wage raises,” Novák said. Hungary needs “confident young people with competitive knowledge and stable values,” President Novák said. That requires “committed, well-performing, highly regarded teachers” and quality education, she said. “There are a number of important issues requiring a solution, such as teachers’ wage hikes, and raising the profession’s prestige in society,” she added. The president called on domestic and EU political players to help the government access the resources necessary for substantial wage hikes.