Hungarian Education System

Pre-school education

-kids attend kindergartens or nursery schools

-it starts at the age of 3 and finishes at the age of 6

-here children learn skills and activities which will be indispensable for their lives (they learn how to draw, communicate, count, play simple games, sing, nursery rhymes, socialize, behave in different situations, use their manual skills and eat regularly.)

-at the end of the nursery years nursery teachers check children if they are ready for school.

Primary education

-it normally starts at the age of 6 and finishes at the age of the 14

- it is divided into 2 sections: junior and senior section

Junior section

-lasts from the first grade to the fourth grade.

-here they learn the three RS (reading,writing and arithmetics-counting)

-they also learn simple literature and grammar.

-they have environmental studies, arts, physical education, religious studies and music.

-they continue what they started in kindergarten but here they are given more freedom and independence.



Senior section

-it starts at the age of 11 and finishes at the age of 14 (grade 5-8)

-in the senior section students/pupils are introduced into arts and sciences

-arts include subjects like literature or history

-sciences refer to maths or chemistry etc.

-here they learn more and play less

-the emphasis is on becoming more and more independent

-the goal of the senior section is to prepare students for secondary education

-here everybody learns at least one foreign language

-students often go for learning competitions where they can win valuable prizes

-students get grades, 1 is the worst and 5 is the best.

Secondary Education

-there are 3 different types of secondary schools;

-grammar schools: this is a kind of school where they learn only arts and sciences and the aim of these achools is to

enable students to go to the higher education.

-technical schools: here they learn a trade and also arts and sciences

-at the end of these schools students have to take Hungarian school leaving exam. (Matura exam)

-vocational schools: here they mainly learn a trade (car mechanig, masonry) and also learn a special set of arts and sciences.

-students are given lots of freedom because they are becoming adults.

The Higher Education System

-first of all, you need to pass the matura exam with good grades (with flying colours)

-in some cases you have to pass an entrance exam

-in the near future you will also need to have a language certificate

-there are two types of higher education institutions: colleges and universities

-here you have a major or are majored in something

-you can major in arts or sciences

-you have lectures and seminars

-you have to pass tests, exams and lots of home assignments.

-at the end of your studies you have to pass the final exam

-you have to wirte a thesis or a dissertation

-you need to have at least one language certificate to be able to get your degree

-if you have met all the expectations then you graduate and start a professional career