Hungarian minority in Slovakia launches petition to protect mother-tongue education

The Hungarian Alliance has launched a petition to ensure the survival of Hungarian and minority language education in Slovakia. The initiative, presented in Bratislava, seeks predictable financing, achievable student enrollment requirements, and accessible mother-tongue schools.

Organizers, including László Gubík, national president of the Hungarian Alliance, argue that current proposed regulations do not adequately reflect the needs of the Hungarian community. A primary concern is the planned increase in minimum average class sizes, which would require 15 students for lower grades and 18 for upper grades. Activists are demanding a lower threshold of 12 students per class to prevent the closure of smaller schools.

Additionally, the petition addresses the logistical challenges faced by families in dispersed areas. It calls for decision-making processes to consider travel time and transport capacity rather than just distance, suggesting free school buses as a potential solution. While the Slovak Ministry of Education stated that legislative changes already include milder conditions for minority schools compared to Slovak-language schools, activists maintain that current proposals risk making mother-tongue education unavailable in practice.