Debrecen4U
November 17, 2025
Stable and developing education system:the Debrecen Education Council held its meeting
At its annual meeting, the Debrecen Education Council—joined by maintainers, school leaders, local government, and city officials—discussed the start of the school year, upcoming educational infrastructure projects, and the possible extension of the Debrecen Junior City Card.
The participants reviewed the experiences of the start of the school year, the development of staff numbers, and the capacity and training opportunities from kindergartens through state and church schools to the University of Debrecen. The strengthening of quality education and the necessary increase in dormitory places were also discussed.
Mayor László Papp emphasized that Debrecen’s education system “presents a healthy picture”: it is characterized by a stable number of students from kindergarten to university and a strong institutional background. He pointed out that one of the main tasks in the coming years is to strengthen the attractiveness of the teaching profession and to improve the housing conditions of students and teachers. He envisaged the possibility of building a joint institutional dormitory, which could provide accommodation for 200–250 students. The local government would provide real estate for this. The mayor added that this requires state support, so they will contact the relevant ministries.
Deputy Mayor Diána Széles thanked the institutions for their exemplary cooperation, highlighting the “Move, Debrecen!” school program, which already provides 1,200 children with the opportunity to exercise every week. She added that, building on its success, they are planning to introduce the “The Power of Hugging” psychological prevention program at Tóth Árpád Secondary School, as more and more children are struggling with anxiety and emotional insecurity. According to their plans, they will work in small groups on group cohesion, empathy, conflict management, and challenges such as self-harm. She added that this is a complex program, the aim of which is to strengthen the family-school-child triad.
At the end of the meeting, proposals for changing the eligibility conditions for the Debrecen Junior City Card were also presented. Free public transportation for students aged 6–14 is extremely popular, so the local government is examining the possibility of extending the discount to the 14–16 and even the 18-year-old age groups.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
