Teachers Report Higher Satisfaction and Greater Autonomy, New Survey Shows

Based on the 2024 OECD TALIS survey, Hungarian teachers are more satisfied with their working conditions, enjoy greater professional autonomy, and work in a supportive school environment, the Ministry of Interior (BM) reported.

The survey included 4,408 teachers and 246 school principals in Hungary, and the results show that Hungarian teachers face fewer disciplinary problems and classrooms are less noisy or disorderly than the OECD average.

The teacher performance evaluation system has been successfully integrated into domestic practice, and mentoring for new teachers has expanded significantly: participation was 18 percent in 2018 and will increase to 49 percent by 2024.

The survey also highlighted that Hungarian teachers find participation in school decision-making valuable and enjoy a high degree of professional autonomy in terms of curriculum goals, learning objectives, and day-to-day pedagogical decisions, such as lesson planning, preparation, and methodological choices.

Classroom. Photo: Pixabay

Relations with principals are also exceptionally positive: 86 percent of teachers reported excellent professional relationships, 97 percent said their principal trusts their expertise, and 85 percent said they receive useful feedback.

Based on the research, the age distribution of teachers in Hungary is less favorable than the OECD average, with the average age of teachers being 49, but as a result of significant salary increases, the number of teachers under the age of 30 increased from 12,081 to 14,326 by October 2025. The OECD survey also showed that 25 percent of Hungarian teachers taught students with a refugee background, compared to 2 percent in 2018, which can be explained by the increase in the number of schoolchildren arriving from Ukraine.

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