Education system in Poland

The education system in Poland includes

nursery schools

primary schools

secondary schools

post-secondary schools/high schoos

vocational or technical schools

• In Poland a higher education system (colleges and universities) belongs to a separate department of the government administration. It isn't ranked among the educational system because it is being granted constitutional autonomy

• In accordance with records of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland everyone has right to learn. Education is compulsory from the age 7 to 18 years old, but the status of compulsory institutions is given only to a primary school and the secondary school. Learning in public schools is free of charge .

• Activities and the organization of the system are specified in the act from 7 September 1991 about the educational system .

A new structure of education was introduced in 1999 .

Nursery schools• Children attend the

nursery school from the age 3 to 6.

• A „zero class" is compulsory for children at the age of 6. „Zero classes" are established mostly at nursery schools, and also in some primary schools.

Primary schools• The six-year school is divided

into two three-year stages . The first stage includes classes from I to III; the main part is the block called „integrated education ” – these classes are being conducted by one teacher who is also acting as the class tutor. Each class lasts for 45 minutes and then there is a 10 minutes break. Lunch break is usually at 11.30 or 12.30 and lasts for 20 minutes.

• Pupils can take part in classes of the religion or ethics. Parents decide whether their children attend them.

• Children usually start learning a foreign language in class 1.

• Some pupils also participate in compensatory classes or physiotherapy exercises.

• Extra curricular classes may be organized according to the pupils’ interests or needs

• In IV-VI classes different teachers teach various subjects, out of those, one (class tutor) is responsible for their class.

• The subjects are all compulsory:

• Polish• Foreign language (usually

German or English)• Maths• General Biology• History and Society• Music• Arts• Technical skills• Information Technology• Physical Education

• From the class V, pupils with their parental consent can take part in classes of sexual education (in the context of family life preparation)

• The reform of the educational system from 1999 created the secondary school. Pupils attending the secondary school are between the ages of 13 - 16. Educating at this stage has a general character, all the following subjects are obligatory:

• Polish• History• Knowledge about society• Art• Music• Foreign language• Maths• Physics and Astronomy• Chemistry• Biology• Geography• Information Technology• Technical skills• Physical Education

• Attending classes of religious education, ethics or sexual education (preparation for family life) is not compulsarory and parents make the decision of their children’s attendance.

• The learning at the secondary school ends with an examination, written by students of class III in April. Every year a director of the Central Examination Board setts the date of the test. The examination paper consists of three written parts: humanistic subjects and mathematical-environmental subjects and a foreign language (since 2009). The exam results don't affect the final school results, but they are significant for the recruitment to post-secondary schools (the comprehensive secondary school, profiled secondary school, the technical vocational school and a vocational school).

Post-secondary education

a) two-year fundamental vocational schools,

b) three-year comprehensive secondary schools,

c) three-year profiled secondary schools,

d) four-year technical vocational schools,

e) two-year supplementing comprehensive secondary schools,

f) three-year supplementing technical vocational schools,

Grading• The annual (semester)

classification grades from educational classes, start being given in class of the IV primary education.They are set according to the following scale:

• perfect – 6 • very good – 5 • good – 4 • satisfactory- 3 • ‚barely there’– 2 • Insufficient (fail) – 1

• Annual classification grades for the behaviour:

• perfect• very good• good• correct• inappropriate• reprehensible

• In classes I-III of the primary school a descriptive evaluation is applied.

• Most high schools finish with a ‚matura’ exam that enables the students to attend a higher education institution and obtain the degree of Bachelor (3-year course) or Master (5-year course)