Teachers' unions called for civil disobedience, but teachers in only ten of the country's 2180 public education institutions participated.

„Today, some colleagues participated in civil disobedience in a total of ten of the country’s 2,180 public education institutions,” Klebersberg Center (KK), Hungary’s central education office, said on Monday in response to the Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet’s inquiry, adding that

with the help of substitution, classes were held as scheduled in most of the institutions concerned.

In Hungary, the national teachers’ unions encouraged teachers to engage in civil disobedience, but figures suggest that participation was low across the country.

In an earlier letter, Zoltan Maruzsa, state secretary in charge of public education drew the attention of trade union leaders to the fact that civil disobedience is a manner of protest not recognised under the current laws in effect.

The Democratic Trade Union of Teachers published Zoltan Maruzsa’s letter on its social media page.

Mr Maruzsa questioned the moral basis of teachers who do not comply with the laws that apply to them, and who, in his opinion, are

setting a bad example for students.

Concluding his letter, the state secretary asked trade union leaders not to support this illegal initiative, which negatively impacts the moral values of students.

In Hungary, some teachers were already demanding a pay rise at the end of the last school year, when the postponement of the school-leaving exams was proposed as a means of demonstration. This time, the possibility of refusing to start the school year came up as an action of civil disobedience, but it became a reality in only ten institutions.