Hungarian “brain” is greatly appreciated worldwide.
The backbone of the educational system comprises three levels:

• Eight years of primary school (or 12 years, when combined with a secondary school)
• Secondary education (vocational training for 2+2 years, 8 or 6 years of secondary grammar school with a final exam, or secondary vocational school with a final exam and a vocational exam over 4+1-2 years)
• Hungary has introduced the Bologna System to create a Common European Higher Education Area

Key data on education in academic year 2008/2009

1,931 thousand pupils and students take part in full-time education in Hungary, which is more than 88 per cent of the 3-22 year-old population. 176 thousand teachers worked in educational institutions this year.

The secondary education structure changed significantly in the last fifteen years. Changes in the demand
for education are reflected in changes to the distribution of students by school types. The number and
proportion of vocational school students has been declining since the beginning of the 1990s till the
previous 4-5 years, whereas secondary schools where a maturity examination has to be taken have
become more popular. In the school year 2008/2009 almost 574 thousand students made their studies in
secondary education, almost 22 per cent of which in vocational schools and 78 per cent in secondary
schools.

Demand for tertiary education has significantly increased in the 1990s. In order to meet policy objectives
of expanding higher education and improving labour market chances for young people, enrolment
opportunities have been made broader. In 2008/2009 there were 243 thousand students in full-time
tertiary education, which is almost triple the figure for 1990.
219.2 thousand people took part in part-time education in 2008/2009:

- 2.1 thousand in primary education,
- 79.0 thousand in secondary education,
- 138.1 thousand in tertiary education.