For a long time, educating children undergoing long-term medical treatment in Hungary meant working in the shadows.
Over recent years, however, KórházSuli (HospiEdu) Foundation achieved a milestone: long-term hospital care was officially recognized as a distinct student category in the Public Education Act. On paper, a breakthrough.
Yet, in reality, this progress was heavily constrained by the previous goverment led by Viktor Orbán. Placed under the rigid, over-centralized framework of the Ministry of Interior, the system created walls rather than bridges. Frontline experts and grassroots civil organizations—those truly knowing the field—found their professional agency stifled.
While hospital education is naturally not yet at the forefront of the new government’s immediate crisis-management agenda, the transition has already begun. As the head of KórházSuli, I have already submitted our comprehensive executive summary on the critical situation of educating students with medical health needs to the new leadership, looking forward to future professional consultations.
The contrast between the previous centralized model and the newly established portfolio structure clearly illustrates the potential for a fresh dialogue:
| Before April 2026 | After April 2026 (New Government Structure) |
| Ministry of Interior | Ministry of Children and Education |
| Over-centralization and rigid top-down hierarchy | Ministry of Health |
| Bureaucratic directives limiting field expertise | Ministry of Social and Family Affairs |
| Stifling of grassroots civil initiatives | Dismantling of rigid structures, opening paths for civil-professional partnerships |
Hungary now stands at a crucial crossroads. By opening doors to professional autonomy and true civic partnership, we hope to finally build a seamless bridge between the hospital bed of the student and the classroom.
I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude for being part of the HOPE community during these difficult times, and for receiving all possible support from the leadership of HOPE to represent this crucial cause in Hungary. As a HOPE Committee Member, I will seize every opportunity to ensure that significant changes take place in the enforcement of the right to education for children with long term medical needs — and that the new government carries out its work in this field in alignment with HOPE guidelines and in close cooperation with the professional community.
Monika Almassy, the head of KórházSuli (HospiEdu), from Hungary.
Email address: almassy.monika@korhazsuli.hu
