BUDAPEST, Hungary (AFP) — Central Budapest was a scene of widespread demonstrations on Monday as thousands gathered to protest the recent dismissal of Csaba Meszaros, the head of the prestigious Madach Imre High School. Meszaros was sacked for not implementing a government-mandated “smartphone ban”.
In a decree issued in August, schools across Hungary were instructed to collect students’ phones and smart devices at the start of each school day. The controversial directive was signed by nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been in power since 2010. The move has further exacerbated ongoing tensions between Orban’s administration and the nation’s educators, who have been vocal about inadequate working conditions for the past two years.
On the first day of the new academic year, thousands of demonstrators filled the square outside the Interior Ministry, which has been overseeing public education since 2022. Among the protesters was Katalin Elteto, a 71-year-old retired teacher, who expressed her frustration over the rapid implementation of the new rules.
“I found it outrageous that the measures were taken without prior consultation overnight,” Elteto told AFP. “I think this protest is not just about the restriction of mobile phones but the state of public education in general. It’s designed to cover up the failing system.”
The main teachers’ union, PDSZ, has criticized the regulation—referred to by some as a “smartphone ban”—describing it as “poorly thought out” and “unrealistic.” The union has urged the government to permit schools to devise their own solutions to manage students’ use of digital devices.
Madach Imre High School publicly stated in mid-August that it would not comply with the new rule. In a message to parents, the school faculty emphasized its “pedagogical goal” of educating students in the responsible use of digital technology and cited a section of the new regulation that allows institutions to authorize the use of restricted items.
However, this defiance led to the sacking of Principal Csaba Meszaros the following week. The Interior Ministry justified the dismissal by stating, “A leader who does not abide by the law and openly defies it cannot run a public institution.”
Zita Nemethy-Csato, a 17-year-old student, labeled the policy as “discouraging” and “unnecessary.” She argued instead for education on how to use smartphones sensibly, echoing protest placards that advocated for the state to “educate thinkers, not slaves.”
Another student, Mate, also 17 and enrolled at Madach Imre High School, condemned the dismissal of Meszaros as “injustice.” “He was an excellent principal for 24 years, educating students to think freely and creating a child-centered school,” Mate said, unwilling to disclose his full name.
As the protest continues to gain momentum, it reflects a broader discontent with Hungarian public education policies, calling for more autonomy and sensible technological integration rather than top-down mandates.
