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THE GOVERNMENT OF HUNGARY

Published by: Hungarian Journal

On the basis of the decision granted

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by the Government


on the National Social Inclusion Strategy and the government action plan on its implementation between 2015 and 2017

1. In line with objectives and measures to fight poverty in the National Reform Programme relating to the Europe 2020 strategy, to the end of accomplishing the objectives set out in the Hungarian National Social Inclusion Strategy II (hereinafter: NSIS II) and applying the principles of social inclusion policy laid down in the strategy, the Government hereby:

a)  adopts according to Annex 1 the government action plan (hereinafter: Action Plan) for 2015 to 2017 adopted by Government Decree 1603/2014 (XI 4) on the adoption of the NSIS II, the Framework Policy of Life-Long Learning, the Public Education Development Strategy and the Mid-term Strategy against Leaving School without a Qualification, and orders its implementation with available sources taken into consideration;

b)  calls upon the Minister of Human Capacities to revise the NSIS II biannually, first in 2017, in relation to the implementation of the action plan; and starting from 2016, prepare a report every year for the Government on the fulfilment of responsibilities set in the action plan on the basis of information sheets prepared in accordance with Section c),

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / first on 31 May 2016, then every two years on 31 May.

c)  calls upon the relevant ministers to take into consideration the objectives, areas of intervention and aspects of the NSIS II, as well as the responsibilities specified in the Action Plan, when developing policies, and planning and implementing national and EU co-funded programmes in the period between 2014 and 2020;

Responsible person: / relevant ministers
Deadline: / continuous

d)  calls upon the relevant ministers to prepare an information sheet for the Minister of Human Capacities on the implementation of tasks set in the action plan starting from 2016;

Responsible person: / relevant ministers
Deadline: / 15 March 2016, then every year on 15 March.

e)  calls the Minister of Human Capacities to operate a monitoring system in order to keep track of the implementation and impacts of the objectives of NSIS II and the responsibilities set in the action plan;

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / continuous

f)  calls upon the Minister of Human Capacities to examine the options of taking into consideration the fullest possible access for those disadvantaged to quality human services in organizing them, in order to accomplish objectives laid down in the NSIS II;

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / 31 March 2016

g)  calls upon the Minister of Human Capacities to revise, with the participation of the Minister for National Economy and the Minister of Interior, the possibilities of further harmonising social, labour market service and support as well as public employment systems to have a care system that encourages employment and contributes to preventing the transfer of poverty through generations.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister for National Economy
Minister of Interior
Deadline: / 31 March 2016

2. This Decision shall enter into force on the day after it is published.

3. Government Decree 1430/2011 (XII 13) on the National Social Inclusion Strategy and its implementation between 2012 and 2014 is repealed.

Budapest, " " September 2015.

(Viktor Orbán)
Prime Minister

Appendix 1 to Government Decree ……………(… …)/….

The National Social Inclusion Strategy and the governmental action plan on its implementation between 2015 and 2017

I. Tasks related to child welfare

1.  The development of services aimed at harmonising raising children and employment should be supported, hence, in addition to increasing the flexibility of these types of care, developing pre-schools and other daycare benefits for children under age 3, extending capacities; primarily in locations deprived of services and lacking sufficient capacity.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister for National Economy
Deadline: / in line with the schedule of the programming period of the Regional Operational Programme (hereinafter: TOP) and the Competitive Central Hungary Operational Programme (hereinafter: VEKOP), on a continuous basis

2.  Special attention should be paid to the earliest possible detection (right at the time of pregnancy) of differences in physical condition, mental state and skills, as well as to early intervention, skills management, early childhood (under 5) care, education and early development. In order to develop sectoral and inter-sectoral early childhood interventions, the regulation and restructuring of funding is in need of revision, as well as common professional protocols, a common child path, standardised screening, measuring and assessing system and training of professionals is needed together with raising awareness and strengthening their cooperation.

3. 

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / In line with the schedule of the programming period of Human Capacities Development Operational Programme (hereinafter: HCDOP), continuous

4.  Coordinated initiatives should be launched and provide support to reinforcing families and communities, that might cover support for managing conflicts, parenting guidance, programmes to create a balance between family and work and model programmes aimed at the aforementioned objectives.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / in line with HCDOP programming period, continuous

5.  The number of children eligible for free or reduced-rate catering for children and beneficiaries of food aid programmes should be extended. Special attention should be paid to currently under-represented groups (in particular, children under age 3, who are not visiting an institution, and disadvantaged students in secondary schools), as well as to those eligible for discounts from catering or requiring a special diet due to their health condition. It should be examined how catering could be provided during school holidays and at weekends by extending child catering and reinforcing its legislative and funding guarantees.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / 1 January 2016

6.  The child protection warning system needs to be strengthened. The aim is to prevent the endangerment of children, eliminate already existing endangerment and promote the raising of children in families. It should be examined what targeted training and development programmes can be used to support services ensuring the earliest possible intervention and training to develop effective parenting, in particular programmes designed for abusive and neglecting parents, parents of children taken into care and parents disputing each other's right to child custody and visitation.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / Starting from 2015 continuously

7.  The aim is to eliminate all forms of child abuse and ensure the healthy mental development of endangered children removed from their families, and, in order to do so, it should be examined how the psychological support of children taking advantage of child welfare services or being raised in child protection special care can be provided.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister of Public Administration and Justice
Deadline: / Starting from 2015 continuously

8.  In the context of foster parents' training, the registration of Roma candidates as foster parents, their participation in training and inclusion into foster parents' networks should be supported.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / in line with HCDOP programming period, continuous

9.  Mainstream child programmes in disadvantaged regions (beneficiary districts), as well as their professional and methodological support should be continued and extended in order to break the repeated cycle of poverty of families with children and improve their chances permanently and in the long term.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / Starting from 2015 continuously

10.  Complex child and youth services and programmes supported by professional and methodological background should be provided to settlements lacking services, where the rate of disadvantaged children is high.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / in line with HCDOP programming period, continuous

11.  In the context of early childhood opportunities, the reliable and transparent functioning of Sure Start Children's Homes should be ensured, and with the experience on success rates and if conditions for future operation are available, then these should be further developed and continuously supported in terms of methodology.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / Starting from 2015 continuously

12.  The way of providing service elements offered in the framework of child welfare service and family assistance should be examined, and with this knowledge, a more effective allocation of resources and regional differentiation should be promoted in relation to the two service system, taking into consideration the reduction of regional inequalities mentioned in Article 1 g) of the Decree. The availability of services should be improved.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / Starting from 2015 continuously

13.  The options for modifying the admission criteria to a child protection benefit under Act XXXI of 1997 on the Protection of Children and the Administration of Guardianship should be examined in order to reduce the number of children living in poor families and prevent the transfer of poverty to newer generations, as well as the notion and regulation of disadvantaged situations should be revised.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister for National Economy
Deadline: / Starting from 2015 continuously

II Tasks related to education

1.  The capacity of pre-school institutions to compensate disadvantages should be improved, and the infrastructural and personal conditions of pre-school care to disadvantaged children starting from age three should be established.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister of National Development
Minister of Interior
Minister for National Economy
Deadline: / continuous

2.  It should be examined which settlements have problems enrolling children in pre-school, and what is required to provide pre-school care to disadvantaged children. Any deficiencies experienced in this area should be explored and measures should be developed to manage them.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister of Interior
Deadline: / Starting from 2015 continuously

3.  The capacity of the pre-school to compensate those disadvantaged should be reinforced by complex methodological development. Institutions should be prepared to provide quality pre-school education to disadvantaged children over age three.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / in line with HCDOP programming period, continuous

4.  Increasing the capacity of public education to create opportunities and the continued operation of skills development, integration preparation and pre-school development programme, as well as its methodological support and development should be ensured.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / continuous

5.  It should be examined if the teacher career recognizes the work done in education and talent management of disadvantaged children in an activity-oriented manner.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / 31 December 2015

6.  The capacity of the institutional system of public education to compensate for disadvantages should be reinforced by strengthening the practice of integrative education, and academically under-performing institutions should be developed by supporting desegregation processes.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
ministers responsible for the operation of institutions of public education and vocational training
Deadline: / continuous

7.  Targeted measures should be taken to support the prevention of dropping out of school without a qualification, the academic success of student groups threatened by dropping out, in particular vocational training. Special attention should be paid to the prevention of Roma girls leaving school without a qualification.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister for National Economy
ministers responsible for the operation of institutions of public education
Deadline: / in line with HCDOP and ECIOP programming period, continuous

8.  Access to complete pedagogical special services should be ensured, and access to quality and inclusive education of students with special educational needs, or struggling with difficulties of integration, learning or behaviour. Efforts should be made to improve the conditions of discharging duties and to ensure that complete and non-discriminatory care is being provided.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / continuous

9.  Programmes providing individual and complex support need to be continued, revised and improved (Road to Scholarship Programme, Arany János Talent Development Programme, Arany János Student Hostel Programme, Arany János Vocational School Programme, Szabóky Adolf Scholarship for Vocational Education, The Second Chance and remedial programmes) in order to facilitate the academic success of disadvantaged, cumulatively disadvantaged and Roma students.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister for National Economy
Deadline: / continuous

10.  Pedagogues, specialised trainers and assistant staff in public education should be provided with practice-based preparation in order to reinforce and disseminate the integrative educational practice.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Minister for National Economy
Deadline: / continuous

11.  The development of the system of services directly supporting teacher's work should be promoted, the role of the child protection indicator system should be strengthened at public education institutions and support should be provided to establishing inter-sectoral and inter-institutional models of cooperation, in order to reduce the number of students dropping out of school without a qualification.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
ministers responsible for the operation of institutions of public education
Deadline: / 31 March 2016

12.  Cooperation between teachers' training institutions and disadvantaged children's integrated institutions inside and outside the public education system (e.g. remedial programmes) should be promoted.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / continuous

13.  Special colleges for Roma should be developed and extended, the Student Mentor Programme should be extended, their range of services and activities should be widened, and the functioning of the Bursa Hungarica programme should be ensured, in order to support the graduation from higher education of disadvantaged and, in particular, Roma students coming from a disadvantaged background.

Responsible person: / Minister of Human Capacities
Deadline: / in line with the schedule of HCDOP programming, and continuously for the Student Mentoring Program

14.  The scholarship and student grant system needs to be reformed in order to improve the chances of college students with socio-cultural disadvantages graduating from higher education.