By December, an additional 125,000 students will receive laptops thanks to government support, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior announced in Budapest on Monday.
Bence Rétvári explained that these modern IT devices will be given to students in grades 5 and 9 who had previously expressed their need through the Kréta system. In addition to student laptops, institutions will also receive equipment, he added. He emphasized that today, it is essential for every student to have access to digital content. The laptop distribution programme, with a total budget of 32 billion forints, aims to enhance the competitiveness of Hungarian students’ knowledge, he said, noting that the students will be able to use the devices with the best possible internet connection, as the government has carried out significant Wi-Fi upgrades in schools.
‘One of the functions of education is to reduce social inequalities carried over from home,’ Bence Rétvári stated. He also mentioned that although the programme was originally intended to be funded by European Union resources, the EU is not providing Hungary with funds from the Recovery Fund. As a result, the programme is being entirely funded from the national budget with full state support. He added, ‘The EU did not consider Hungarian students worthy of receiving laptops from EU funds.’ He also noted that, in recent years, a total of 453,000 laptops have been distributed as part of the programme—55,000 of which went to teachers—, and around 3,000 schools have benefited from the equipment.
In addition to distributing laptops, digital content development is also being supported to assist students. According to Rétvári, the range of interactive digital textbooks and other downloadable content on the national education portal is expanding every year. In recent years, there have been 200 million downloads from the site, with the content used in 6,500 student groups, and more than 28,000 assignments have been issued through the portal, he explained.
‘One of the functions of education is to reduce social inequalities carried over from home’
Prime Minister’s chief advisor Zsolt Nyitrai stressed that Viktor Orbán’s civic government is ‘practically realizing the concept of a service-oriented state.’ ‘This means that we pay attention to the needs and opinions of citizens in everyday life, and our measures aim to make their lives easier and help them manage their affairs,’ he said, noting that the government takes into account the special needs of different social groups and assists civilians with the most modern tools.
Nyitrai recalled that public opinion has been sought 16 times in the form of national consultations, with a new questionnaire on economic policy coming soon. ‘We base our public work on dialogue, always seeking consensus with the people,’ he emphasized. He highlighted that in addition to seeking opinions, services are also being provided. For example, there is the Careful Watch (Gondosóra) Programme unique in Europe, which offers free support for those over the age of 65. More than 650,000 people have registered for the programme, and it has already provided assistance in over 22,000 life-threatening situations. He also mentioned the free digital citizenship service, free textbooks, the provision of school supply packages for 80,000 disadvantaged children, and the summer camps for children with diabetes, noting that the distribution of IT equipment fits into this series of support measures.
President of the Klebelsberg Centre Gabriella Hajnal said that the programme started in 2022, and now every student from grades 5 to 12 who requested a laptop has received one. For those who did not request their own, school laptops are available, ensuring that everyone can use the equipment. The president highlighted that in recent years, the distribution of laptops has proceeded smoothly, and everyone will receive their devices on time this year as well. ‘At this moment, there is no obstacle to delivering 21st-century education in the public education system,’ Gabriella Hajnal declared, who also mentioned that all distributed devices are both tablets and laptops, with an average cost of 256,000 forints. The devices come with Windows, and each includes a bag and a mouse, she added.
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