It shows that students’ basic skills have deteriorated, which confirms information already shown by a PISA assessment and national competence tests.

There are many low achievers and their proportion is even greater than average among those that come from a disadvantaged socio-economic background, he said. Students from a disadvantaged background are increasingly included in segregated education during their basic education.

This especially applies to the Roma, he said. The proportion of drop-outs in schools stagnated in Hungary in recent years while it was reduced in the EU. Hungary falls behind not only in the EU average but also in the region.

Hungary has achieved good results in improving the proportion of degree holders in the 30-34 age group by 6 percentage points between 2011 and 2014. Still, at 34.1%, Hungary was 4 percentage points below the European average.

Research shows that this gap is expected to increase, partly because of demographic trends and because of measures introduced in recent years that have made it more difficult for students to get into higher education, Zupkó said.

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