Galló insisted that the government’s reforms in the sector had backfired largely because teachers and schools had been stripped of their independence. Also, heavy burdens on students and teachers were introduced.

The amount of teaching material has grown to such an extent that teachers no longer have time to devote themselves to individual students, she added. The public education roundtable is expected to meet in January to discuss the results of the 2015 PISA tests, state secretary László Palkovics said earlier.

A report on education is being prepared for the government and proposals will be made for a new national curriculum, teacher training and methodology courses, he added.

The test published on December 6 showed that Hungarian students scored worse in reading comprehension and in science last year than in a similar test in 2012.

Participants in the 2015 test showed similar results in maths as three years earlier. But in all three areas they scored below the average of OECD countries.

The PISA system, introduced in 2000, measures students’ performance across OECD countries. The test is conducted every three years.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.