Students Receive Subsidized Studies in Hungary — for a Price
In this
article, published February 17, 2013, talks about two Hungarian students, Daniel
Szabo and Gergo Birtalan who are in totally different situations regarding
colleges. When Mr. Szabo graduates from college, he can go wherever in the
world he wants to work. Mr. Britalan, who is younger than Mr. Szabo, was required
to sign a contract at the start of his first year because of a new law
introduced in September. As a beneficiary of the state-funded university
system, he will be obliged to work for two years in Hungary for every year of
his subsidized studies. This contract
has been met with both opposition and protests from high school and university
students. The rule applies to all students at state universities, as well as
those at state-funded places in private institutions. Should Mr. Britalan find
a job elsewhere, he’ll have to pay back his tuition, which is about 900,000
forint, or $4100 (in our money) for a three year degree. This price is
significant in Hungary because the average monthly salary, after taxes, is
140,000 forint, and where citizens are accustomed to subsidized education.
Officials argue that this price is
not unreasonable for Hungarian students who study free under the state. Mr.
Britalan signed the law, but feels really bad and angry about it. Months after the law was initiated, 2000
students held a demonstration against the new rule and after the
demonstrations, the Ministry of Human Resources began a series of roundtable
talks with teachers, student groups and Chamber of Commerce. The Hungarian see these contracts as necessary
means to combat “brain drain” referring to graduate’s choosing to work abroad.
According to the government,
more than 73 percent of full-time university students in Hungary attend
institutions where the tuition is funded by the government; this is a big
change from the end of the Communist rule in Hungary in 1989 when it was a privilege
to attend a university. Supporters of this new law argue that today, students
try to stay in school as long as they can in a university but these are free
programs, they say, and this tendency has to be stopped. At one point, the
government considered withdrawing state funding from some fields of studies
that were not seen as being as market-friendly. But after student
demonstrations, they decided against it. While this law was passed by the
Hungarian Parliament, and is already in force, there is the question of whether
the European Union would allow it, since the freedom of movement of labor is
guaranteed in the European Union. If the opposition Hungarian Socialist Party manages to win
power over Fidesz, the governing conservative party, it will abolish the
contract system, the opposition leader, Attila Mesterhazy, said in an
interview.
I found this article to be very interesting and
controversial. Taxpayers in Hungary are paying for student’s free education
while other country’s benefit from them. Previously, many students have moved
after graduating, taking advantage of newly educated professionals. A question
I would want more information on is who qualifies for this free education? Is
it everyone or do you have to be part of a specific social class or other
specifications? The country is in debt
because of this because previously when graduates move and go to other
countries, this leaves Hungary owing more money and not receiving the revenue
from their college programs. This has left them with few solutions so they have
proposed the one discussed in the article. The article also discusses an enslaving
concept because under this new law, students are “enslaved” to work in their
country for 2 years, per year of schooling. For example, if it took someone 4
years to graduate, they would be obligated to work 8 years in Hungary before
ever having the chance to move somewhere else. This may make students think twice before
allowing the government to pay for their school. Therefore, those who don’t
have enough money may be placed in a difficult position- they want to obtain an
education but also want to have the freedom to make their own decision about
where they put their education into practice. Having said this, this law may not cause much
concern to those who can afford schooling, but for those that it does, it can
negatively affect them. This law could have a detrimental effect on Hungary,
because if students don’t agree with this law, they won’t attend college which
could lead the country to lower rate of college graduates, leaving the country
shorthanded on people to fulfill future professional employment. Education is vital
in the world today, and this law may be doing more harm than good. If the law
stays in place, the country will get back the money they’re giving out but how
will that affect the students and their value or perception of getting an
education? This law is a complex issue that has no simple solution; it will be interesting
to see whether the country continues to enforce this law in the future.
Leslie Belk
2/22/13 11:16 am
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