Hungarian officials worried in a report released this summer that the country’s education system was becoming “too feminine.”
The report, released by the National Audit Office, said it was concerned that the phenomenon of “pink education” could create demographic problems and harm boys’ development.
Documents released last month labelled “emotional and social maturity” as “feminine traits” and noted that if education was “favorable” for those traits, it would lead to “a disproportionate representation of women in universities”.
The report found that 82% of teachers in Hungary are women, and that over the past decade, more women than men have entered university.
At the same time, the dropout rate of male students is higher than that of female students.
The report then warns that boys are at risk of “psychological and behavioural problems” if they do not have room to develop in a more masculine space, combining abilities such as creativity and innovation with boys rather than girls.
Officials also said the rise of pink education could lead to “a decline in fertility” as women would not be able to find educated men to match their qualifications.
If women continue to dominate the field of education, such concerns raise fears of a “significant weakening” of gender equality.
The focus on fertility gave Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán a vision for a surge in the country’s birth rate.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban is working to boost the country’s birth rate
(EPA)
In 2019, he announced that women with four children would be exempted from paying income tax for life.
The Hungarian opposition leader criticized the report on Facebook, writing: “It’s time to take off your last century glasses.”
He added that labelling female and male characteristics is “complete scientific absurdity”.
The country’s prime minister has repeatedly clashed with the EU over press freedom and immigration.
Hungary is also currently being sued by the European Commission over its highly controversial “anti-gay law”, which prohibits the depiction of homosexuality to persons under the age of 18.
