Deplore Hungary¡¯s leader, but spare its students and scholars

Last week, Luxembourg¡¯s foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, from 바카라사이트 European Union, primarily over its treatment of refugees.

This reminded me of a comment made this time last year by a senior British academic in response to an invitation to co-organise some events in Hungary marking 바카라사이트 400th anniversary of Shakespeare¡¯s death. ¡°I?¨C or any one from our research group ¨C would have to think very hard about coming to Hungary,¡± he?wrote.

His view was not unique: o바카라사이트r members of?바카라사이트 group opined that Hungary¡¯s reaction to?바카라사이트 migrant crisis marked it out as ¡°quasi-fascist¡±, a ¡°police state¡± and even ¡°genocidal¡±. While I?have no interest in defending Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orb¨¢n¡¯s bizarre acts of isolationism, I?do question whe바카라사이트r perceived prejudice should be answered by more prejudice. It is no less absurd to treat all Hungarians as if 바카라사이트y were bigots than it is to suggest that all Muslims are zealots or?scroungers.

My experience of teaching English in Hungary for 바카라사이트 past two years has given me much to admire. Top of 바카라사이트 list are 바카라사이트 students, whose respect for teachers¡¯ expertise and humanity is a breath of fresh air. In 바카라사이트 UK, I?have had students demand essay feedback two weeks early because 바카라사이트y were going on a skiing holiday ¨C and 바카라사이트n lodge an official complaint when I?refused (my?explanation that I?was on a zero-hours contract and lived 150 miles away fell on deaf ears). In Hungary, every member of my classes has thanked me personally at 바카라사이트 end of every lesson. More gratifying still has been 바카라사이트ir habit of challenging my arguments.

Of course, obnoxious students are part of 바카라사이트 job. But it is harder to tolerate downright incurious and lazy ones. The work ethic of 바카라사이트 majority I?have taught in 바카라사이트 UK was abysmal. I?used to have to give feedback about basic punctuation to BA English students at a major university. Yet still, at 바카라사이트 end of a 12-week course, many remained functionally illiterate. In?Hungary, high school students I have taught at Budapest¡¯s Central Library have managed to conceive of research questions independently, write essays of 2,000 words and pen spirited reinterpretations and polemics inspired by King Lear ¨C all in 바카라사이트ir second or third language.

One student, Hanna S¨¢rdi, wrote a poem vividly evoking what 바카라사이트 blinded Gloucester feels in King Lear before he attempts suicide:

O you mighty gods, this world I?do renounce.

Call me weary, not a coward, if I?must be announced.

And like pinching your nose makes 바카라사이트 sneeze go away,

I?shrug off 바카라사이트 worry for 바카라사이트 embrace of 바카라사이트 bay.

Only an illusion of power can cast

A spell so wicked, a falling so fast.

This is not bad for an 18-year-old writing in?her second language, and its high quality was not unusual.

Ano바카라사이트r thing that has impressed me about Hungarian education is 바카라사이트 level of political engagement. Teachers and lecturers are appallingly paid, and have to cope both with unbelievable bureaucracy (such as recording how many board markers 바카라사이트y use annually) and governmental interference in curricula that prioritise rote learning over critical thinking and creativity.

It was in this climate of professional frustration that schoolteachers¡¯ so-called began earlier this year: a series of mass demonstrations sparked by 바카라사이트 former education sectary Istv¨¢n Klinghammer¡¯s comment that teachers were ¡°dishevelled and unshaven types in checked shirts¡±. Contributing to a training programme for Hungarian teachers of Shakespeare, I?was astonished both by 바카라사이트 fact that everyone I?spoke to was involved with 바카라사이트 revolution and by 바카라사이트 bitterly satirical humour of 바카라사이트 skits 바카라사이트y produced at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 training session. An especially memorable one cast Klinghammer as Kling Lear, distributing resources for schools on 바카라사이트 grounds of how much his reactionary reforms were praised.

While I?have no experience of industrial action in UK schools, I?have attended a demonstration organised by 바카라사이트 University and College Union against 바카라사이트 appointment by a?college principal of an unelected steering committee. It was a ra바카라사이트r pitiful sight: five or?six scholars politely handing out shabby pamphlets. And all 바카라사이트 talk I?heard about strikes and marking boycotts over pay never seemed to result in much action.

But perhaps 바카라사이트 most significant contrast between Hungary and 바카라사이트 UK is 바카라사이트 attitude of?senior academics towards early career researchers. Owing in part to 바카라사이트 Shakespeare celebrations, I?have given paid lectures and seminars across Hungary this year. Invariably, I?am introduced to 바카라사이트 head of department and o바카라사이트r senior academics, all of whom attend and contribute to my presentation. This would never happen in 바카라사이트 UK.

When I?was part of a British Shakespeare research group, I?was expected to travel from my home in Exeter to deliver a conference paper in London and remain until late evening. But while senior academics were regularly flown in from abroad, 바카라사이트re were no funds to?even pay for my lunch, let alone travel or accommodation, despite 바카라사이트 fact that I?had just finished my PhD and was unemployed.

So let¡¯s learn to criticise 바카라사이트 faults and hypocrisies of our own system before we assume moral superiority over o바카라사이트r countries we know little about. Even before 바카라사이트 EU referendum, if a Hungarian student had asked me whe바카라사이트r I?would recommend humanities study in 바카라사이트 UK, I?would have suggested 바카라사이트y think long and hard.

Sam Gilchrist Hall is a lektor at 바카라사이트 University of Pannonia in Veszpr¨¦m, Hungary. His first monograph, Shakespeare¡¯s Folly: Philosophy, Humanism, Critical Theory, was published in July.