Watch: “Students for Teachers” Protest in Budapest Attracts Thousands - inc Mayor
- 5 Sep 2022 6:05 AM
- Hungary Around the Clock
Several thousand people - including the Budapest Mayor and Peter Márki-Zay - took part in the Friday afternoon rally organised by students to express support for teachers’ call for higher pay and better working conditions.
They demanded a solution to the shortage of teachers, in addition a betterment in the quantity and quality of teaching material, improved conditions in schools, and more attention to education.
The protesters marched from the Szent István basilica to Fővám tér, passing by the Ministry of the Interior, which oversees education.
Not only students, but also middle-aged and older people demonstrated, as well as several politicians: Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony, Hódmezővásárhely mayor Péter Márki-Zay, Dialogue MP Bence Tordai, and independent MP Ákos Hadházy among them.
Activist Áron Molnár sang his song “We want to teach” at the rally, actor Zsolt Nagy spoke of the importance of education, and Dominika Havas-Kovács, a Hungarian-Latin teacher, said she wanted to teach but motivation alone cannot pay the bills.
Students addressing the crowd spoke of a dire need for maintenance in schools and also a lack of support and attention for those with learning disabilities.
At the end of the demonstration, the Students for Teachers movement announced that they will continue the struggle for their goals and therefore a vigil will take place in front of four high schools in Budapest on Sunday evening.
MTI Photo: Noémi Bruzák
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