LEGAL SYSTEM
Levels of public education in Hungary
Public education in Hungary has three levels. (i) Pre-school education is carried out in pre-school institutions (ISCED 0). Pre-school education is optional from the age of three and compulsory from the age of five. (ii) Primary education is carried out in general schools and divided into four phases: introductory phase – Years 1-2 and beginning phase – Years 3-4 (ISCED 1); and founding phase – Years 5-6 and developing phase (Years 7-8). The phase called lower secondary in several European countries corresponds to Years 5-8 in Hungary (ISCED 2). (iii) Secondary education starts in Year 9 and finishes in Year 10 (in vocational schools) or in Years 12 or 13 of general secondary schools and vocational secondary schools (ISCED 3). There is a wide range of secondary programmes: vocational schools offer vocational training, general secondary schools provide general education leading to school-leaving exams and vocational secondary schools offer general education and vocational training leading to school-leaving exams (types A, B, C).
Legislation does not make any distinction between segregated or inclusive education but there are specific as opposed to general regulations relating to pupils with special education needs. Act on Public Education (LXXIX. 1993) stipulates inclusive education of pupils with special educational needs. Other laws related to the Act on Public Education also comprise regulations concerning pupils with special educational needs. According to the Act on Public Education pupils with special educational needs have the right to receive special provision from the time their special educational needs or disabilities are diagnosed. Any public education institution possessing the necessary personal and material conditions may offer provision for children with special educational needs.
The ongoing reforms and objectives of development emphasise that the conditions for inclusive education be ensured in as many institutions as possible.
The system of special institutions
Hungary has a well established system of special institutions ensuring choice for parents. According to the law the educational institution is chosen by the parent based on the expert opinion given by the National Committees for Assessing Learning Abilities and Rehabilitation or that of the Committees carrying out expert and rehabilitation activities.
Based on the diagnosis made by doctors, neurologists or audiologists the development of the abilities of the child starts at the earliest possible age and medical aids (hearing aid, glasses, crutches, stick) are also provided for them. Early development consists of counselling that focuses on the problems of the immediate environment of the given child, and of guiding the disability-specific development.
Special institutions providing education for pupils with special education needs aged 3-16 are: pre-school institutions, general schools, special vocational schools, and special vocational schools developing abilities. Special schools are controlled and supervised by local governments of different level. Depending on the frequency of a given disability and the number of children, these institutions may be town, district, metropolitan, metropolitan-district, county, cross-county and national ones.
Content regulation
The content of education is regulated by the National Core Curriculum and institutional local curricula. When preparing their own educational programmes and local curriculum the schools take into account the regulations of the Act on Public Education and of the National Core Curriculum, the Basic Programme of Education for Dormitories, the local objectives and possibilities of education.
The National Core Curriculum is the core document for the education of pupils with special education needs as well. When preparing their own pedagogical programmes the schools may adapt the National Core Curriculum according to the guidelines for the education of pupils with special educational needs. The differences among pupils are taken into account when preparing the local educational programmes. The objectives, tasks, contents, activities, requirements should be present in the pedagogical programme, in the quality assurance programme of the institution, in the local curriculum, in the teaching-learning programme linked to thematic units, plans and in the individual educational programme.
Habilitation and rehabilitation
The educational system of public education institutions participating in the education of pupils with special educational needs is determined by comprehensive, long-term habilitation and rehabilitation objectives and tasks defined in the documents of the institutions. The habilitation-rehabilitation activity is carried out in an open teaching-learning process organised in team work, which makes it necessary to use different procedures, timeframes, instruments, methods, and therapies depending on the demand of a given child or a group of children.
The factors influencing the content of the habilitation-rehabilitation activity are: type and degree of disability, time of diagnosing the disability, the age, health, psychic and medical state of the child with special educational needs, their abilities, developed skills, cognitive functions and previously acquired knowledge.
Where mainstream and special education meets
The curriculum that is basically the same for mainstream and special education makes it possible for pupils with special educational needs to achieve general school qualifications and to study in secondary and higher education. Schools and other special education institutions may decide which methods they find the most appropriate and use in providing education or care. These methods are different according to disabilities but are adapted to the content requirements of the National Core Curriculum. In school education the subject approach is dominant. Pupils with special education needs receive the same certificate when they have completed their studies as their peers without special educational needs.
