Only four weeks of training will be needed without any police experience required to work as a school guard. In this newly-established, much-debated system, the guards who would start working in the upcoming school year, are being offered a higher salary than an entry-level teacher with a college degree.
Recently, a poster made by the Baranya County Police was accidentally made public before it was originally planned- the local police, however, didn’t deny any data on it. According to the poster, new school guards are being offered a gross salary of HUF 220,000 (EUR 622). This adds to yearly fringe benefits of HUF 200,000 forints (EUR 565) net.
This amount is higher than what an entry-level teacher receives, as according to last school year’s data, they earned HUF 210,000 (EUR 594). In addition, in state-operated schools, teachers also don’t receive extra benefits. To put this into context, according to the Central Statistical Office, the gross average wage in April 2020, amounted to HUF 400, 200 (EUR 1,132).
The announcement also reveals that secondary level (high school) degree and the completion of a four-week-long training in August (also paid) would be enough to start work.
The Fidesz-led government announced the implementation of the school security guard system “in order to protect teachers,” as several abuse and violent cases have recently been made public. The plans, however, are being criticized, as many think the government once again aims to address only the symptoms of a deeper issue.
Teacher’s Unions Criticize Interior Ministry’s School Security Guard Plan
Anyhow, the state secretary in charge of education added that school guards won’t be present in private or religious schools for now. Zoltán Maruzsa also revealed that Hungary’s North-Eastern parts are overrepresented in terms of school violence. Earlier he said that school guards will be “more than doormen but less than policemen.” They can intervene in case of brawls between students or against violent parents as well.
featured image: police arrive to the site of a school stabbing in Tiszaújváros in 2011; via János Vajda/MTI