Hungarian education needs curriculum reform to engage students

Literary historian Zsófia Szilágyi suggests that the Hungarian education system needs to adapt to the changing cultural landscape of students. She argues that teaching methods should incorporate more teacher autonomy and a reduced curriculum to better engage modern learners.

Szilágyi proposes that popular literature could serve as a bridge to classical works, noting that character types and story structures in modern series or popular novels often mirror those found in classics. However, she cautions against rushing to add trending books to the national core curriculum, as student interests shift rapidly.

She also observes that while students still read, the rise of serial media is increasingly displacing book culture, making it harder to find a shared cultural foundation. Szilágyi emphasizes the importance of understanding why students connect with popular authors and suggests that rethinking when students encounter specific works, such as Zsigmond Móricz’s ‘Légy jó mindhalálig’, is essential for effective pedagogy.