A demonstration organised by students was held for public education and teachers in front of the interior ministry in Budapest on Friday evening. The participants at the demonstration organised by the “Students for Teachers” Facebook group demanded immediate wage increases as a solution to the shortage of teachers. They also demanded professional autonomy for teachers, teaching material that is “teachable and learnable”, “liveable schools” and a genuine dialogue about public education. Demonstrators gathered at Heroes’ Square and made their way along Andrássy Avenue and József Attila Street to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the ministry at Széchenyi Square. They carried a banner reading “We are with our teachers” at the front. Student speakers at the square insisted that “education is a national issue”, saying they were proud of their teachers who stood up for the cause of education. “These teachers teach us what is missing most in Hungary today: courage”. They criticised school district leaders for “sacking” or threatening with such a reprimand teachers who participate in an act of civil disobedience, and burned copies of dismissal letters. Many of the demonstrators carried Hungarian and EU flags and flags symbolising chequered shirts, an outfit that has become associated with teacher demonstrations. They held up banners reading “To strike is a fundamental right”.A demonstration organised by students was held for public education and teachers in front of the interior ministry in Budapest on Friday evening. The participants at the demonstration organised by the “Students for Teachers” Facebook group demanded immediate wage increases as a solution to the shortage of teachers. They also demanded professional autonomy for teachers, teaching material that is “teachable and learnable”, “liveable schools” and a genuine dialogue about public education. Demonstrators gathered at Heroes’ Square and made their way along Andrássy Avenue and József Attila Street to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the ministry at Széchenyi Square. They carried a banner reading “We are with our teachers” at the front. Student speakers at the square insisted that “education is a national issue”, saying they were proud of their teachers who stood up for the cause of education. “These teachers teach us what is missing most in Hungary today: courage”. They criticised school district leaders for “sacking” or threatening with such a reprimand teachers who participate in an act of civil disobedience, and burned copies of dismissal letters. Many of the demonstrators carried Hungarian and EU flags and flags symbolising chequered shirts, an outfit that has become associated with teacher demonstrations. They held up banners reading “To strike is a fundamental right”.