Kindergarten and primary school students have returned to classrooms in Hungary as the country battles the third wave of coronavirus. While COVD-19 case numbers are improving, many parents and teachers fear the reopening is too early, with thousands of new cases recorded each day.  

After six weeks at home, many students couldn't wait to be back in the classroom. Bringing her son to kindergarten, one mother, who's also a teacher, explained returning was vital for children's mental health. "He was really excited, he was talking every single day about how he missed the little fellas he attends kindergarten with and I could say he was almost suffering," she said.  

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For the first day back at school, students were required to have their temperatures checked and most wore masks. For working parents, being able to drop them off for in-person lessons was a relief as they try to juggle their own work commitments.  

"We are worried about the virus situation and we are waiting to be vaccinated, but given the working conditions, going back to school was more important to us," said Gabor Toth.  

However, not everyone is pleased to be back. Thousands of new COVID-19 cases are still being recorded each day and many teachers fear the environment isn't safe. 

Tibor Feher, of the PDSZ teachers trade union, explained staff had their jobs threatened when asking to continue digital learning at home and that the group wanted to consult with the government. 

"We see that anti-COVID measures are simply inadequate, physical distancing is simply impossible in our schools, masks are still not mandatory so what we see is that workers and other education personal are not safe in our schools," he said.  

While it's mandatory for students to be back at school, a survey of parents showed more than three-quarters felt the return date wasn't safe and more than 30 percent planned to keep their children at home. 

Nora Beck is one of those parents, choosing to keep her daughter at home after speaking to a friend who works in a children's hospital. She's concerned her daughter, who already has an autoimmune disease, could catch COVID-19 and that hospitals will fill up again if cases spike after the return to school.   

Those behind a movement to keep students learning online believe schools cannot stay open at this rate. Ferenc Sipos, spokesman for the ADOM student movement, said 25,000 students and parents had joined their online event not to return to in-person learning until the pandemic was under control. 

"If the epidemic data stay as bad as now, these schools are likely to close again. There are a lot of educators and students who say that they won't go back to school and continue online education. If this situation really continues with mortality and infection rates being so bad, it won't work that schools and kindergartens stay open," he said.  

The group wants to see in-person learning pushed back until after the summer. Secondary school students are still learning online in Hungary. They're scheduled to return to the classrooms in May.