Fidesz deputy chairman Zoltán Pokorni yesterday opined that this year's public education funds will be siphoned off while tuition fees will be introduced in higher education this year, "which suggests that Hungary is moving away from the European direction, and is following the example of Turkey or Mexico."

"Among the OECD countries, only the Mexican, Turkish, Polish and Slovak states contribute fewer funds to educating pupils between the age of six and fifteen than Hungary," he said, at a press briefing on Tuesday, citing a report.

Pokorni complained that compared to Finland, Korea and Estonia, all of which in the past declared education to be a strategic sector and simultaneously released considerable funds to reform it, a change of such outlook never materialised in Hungary.

"Hungary's 17% figure for graduates lags well behind the OECD countries' 26% average," Pokorni noted.