Deputy state secretary for vocational training and adult education Annamária Pölöskei told the paper that students in vocational schools would have as many foreign language hours as students in gymnasiums, that is, secondary schools that prepare students for entry into university.

The only difference is that students in vocational schools will learn one foreign language while those in gymnasiums will learn two, she added.

The number of foreign language hours in vocational schools is set to rise from 2-4 a week to 6-8, depending on the type of school, a draft of the new National Core Curriculum shows.

Pölöskei noted that vocational school students would also participate in a recently launched state programme funding two, two-week foreign language courses abroad for Hungarian language learners in secondary schools.

MTI Photo: Nemes János