EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM in Poland

Educational system in Poland Baby farm (= creche) – up to 3 y.o.Kindergarten - up to 6 years old Primary school – 7-13 y.o. Technical college – y.o. Junior high school – y.o. Trade school y.o.High school – y.o. University education

BABY FARM Baby farm is an institution for children aged 6 weeks up to about three years, whose parents are working. Baby farm provides children with meals, nursing-health treatment, education and additional classes. There are not many baby farms in Poland, so it is quite common that grandparents help when mother and father have to go to work :)

KINDERGARTEN This part of educational system has been obligatory for six years' old children since this year. Children get basic knowledge there, they for example learn numbers, letters, how to write, but they also play lots of games, draw or take part in various performances. Classroom in kindergarten One of the performances

PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL Primary school is for kids who are seven years old and it lasts six years. It is divided into two parts. The first part is for kids aged During these three years general teaching takes place with the same teacher for all subjects. These three years end with examination, but its results do not really matter as far as promotion is concerned. The second part is for kids aged Now, they have more subjects, such as history, biology or IT, with different teachers. It also ends with examination.

PRIMARY SCHOOL In Silesia, when kids go to the first class of primary school, they get a big paper „box” full of sweets. It is called ‘a horn of plenty’. It is supposed to sweeten their way through primary school.

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Junior High School is the next stage of education intended for children aged 13-15, and it ends with a really important national examination, on which the choice of next school is dependent. In this type of school students have more subjects than in primary school (for example: physics and astronomy, chemistry, geography, etc.) New gymnasium building in Konin

HIGH SCHOOL, TECHNICAL COLLEGE & TRADE (vocational) SCHOOL High school is for youth aged In this school young people gain knowledge directed to subjects connected with the course they want to choose at university. Technical college is for people aged There are basic subjects, like in high school, but also subjects necessary to start working in chosen profession. These schools end with an exam called ‘matura’ (just like the British A-levels), which gives access to university education. Trade schools generally focus on knowledge and practical skills necessary for doing certain jobs. You take vocational examination, but you cannot continue education at university. Document which confirms Matura results

MATURA EXAM It is not obligatory for students to take Matura exams, however students wishing to apply for higher education are required to hold Polish Matura, as it is the most common method used by universities to determine whether prospective students possess suitable skills for academic subjects. Every student who wants to pass Matura is required to take three compulsory exams (at the standard level) in: - Polish language (knowledge of Polish and European literature) - Modern language (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish or Russian) - Mathematics Students at Matura Exam

MATURA EXAM Candidates can also choose six more subjects at the standard or extended level from Biology, Chemistry, Civic Education, Knowledge of Dance, Geography, History (Polish history and European history), History of Art, History of Music, Information Technology, Physics and Astronomy, Latin and Ancient History, Philosophy, Modern languages (different than the compulsory one), Language of an ethnic group (Belarusian, Lithuanian or Ukrainian), Regional language - Kashubian language or only at extended level from Polish language, Mathematics, and the same modern languages as the compulsory ones, which means that nine subjects can be selected in total Students who take an exam at the extended level are supposed to have more extensive knowledge of the subject compared to those who choose an exam at the standard level). The final results are expressed in percentage. It is required to score at least 30% from 3 compulsory exams to pass Matura. Additional subjects don't have influence on passing Matura. The exams are conducted by the Central Examination Board (English).

MODERN LANGUAGE EXAM Modern language exam is divided into two parts: written part (that consists of listening, reading and writing tasks) and oral part ( in which students have to describe a picture (and a set of pictures, depending on the level), and answer the teacher's questions connected with it, and then have 3 guided conversations with the examiner according (and present one of two topics as well as answer the examiner's questions related to this presentation – that is for the extended level).

One of high school traditions is a party called ‘studniówka’ which takes place about one hundred days before matura. Students of the last year and teachers who taught them all the time in high school participate at this party. Everyone is smartly dressed in suits and evening dresses. Studniówka always start with Polonaise dance

MARKS & BEHAVIOUR In Polish system of education there are two different scales to rate school marks and students' behaviour: MARKSBEHAVIOR (=conduct) 6 – excellentExemplary 5 – very goodVery good 4 – goodGood 3 – sufficientCorrect 2 – satisfactoryUnsuitable 1 – failCensurable