Churches take over schools

Churches in Hungary are taking over state-owned schools because local governments can't afford the expense due to the economic recession.

"Churches are entitled to run schools in Hungary as public service providers, receiving the same taxpayers' money as public sponsors," said Balazs Odor, ecumenical officer of Hungary's Reformed Church.

The Reformed, Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches ran most schools in Hungary before the imposition of communist rule after World War II, when the state took over 3,750 denominational schools and 4,500 teachers were forced to resign, leaving only a handful of colleges in church hands.