Hungary

This chapter delves into the development of Hungary’s Adult Learning System (ALS) from the early 1990s to the 2010s, delineating its distinct trajectory relative to other Central European countries. This unique path was initially shaped by Hungary’s era of ‘reformed socialism’ under Kadár and a comparatively seamless shift from socialism to capitalism. The early phase of Hungary’s ALS was marked by deregulation and decentralisation, with a focus on retraining the unemployed. Entering the 2000s, amidst the process of European Union integration, Hungary moved to regulate the Adult Education and Training (AET) market. It instituted a legislative framework that prioritized vocational training and job-oriented non-formal education (NFE), largely supported by EU funding. The 2010s introduced a pivotal policy redirection towards centralisation and specialisation within AET, motivated by economic exigencies and the governmental vision of fostering a ‘work-based society.’ Legislation from this period sought to tailor AET to the demands of crucial economic sectors, emphasising the vocationalization of NFE and targeting low- to medium-skilled workers. Nonetheless, Hungary encountered obstacles in fully integrating vulnerable populations into the labour market and ensuring that its AET system contributed to wider social inclusion objectives. Through an exploration of two major institutional junctures—the initial post-socialist transition and the policy reforms of the 2010s—this chapter portrays the evolution of Hungary’s ALS into a neoliberal, highly liberalized lifelong learning system.