POLISH EDUCATION THREATS AND CHANGES THE NEW LIBERAL POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT Cyprus June 2011 THE NEW LIBERAL POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT Cyprus June 2011

BASIC DOCUMENTS Polish Constitution Article 70 Everyone shall have the right to education. Education to 18 years of age shall be compulsory. The manner of fulfillment of schooling obligations shall be specified by statute students do not obey this rule. The Act of the System of Education with the amendments (new reform) It regulates the whole system of education and affects the central and local authorities, teachers, educational employees and employers and pupils- students.

BASIC DOCUMENTS The Teachers' Charter (under the great danger) The Teachers Charter is the document that concerns the teachers as educational employees and regulates their rights and duties The Ministry of Education Documents (new syllabus) All educational matters are regulated by currently issued regulations that define e.g. the organization of a school year, the wages, the qualifications or the system of the teachers promotion.

PRE- PRIMARY EDUCATION GENERAL SECONDARY SCHOOL TERTIARY EDUCATION LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL POST- SECONDARY SCHOOL

PRE- SCHOOL EDUCATION Kindergartens are not obligatory, parents can choose to send the child to it. It is worth mentioning that only about 40% of kids at the age of 3 go to kindergartens. According to the dates presented by our Ministry of Education 53% of 4 year old kids go to kindergartens. At present ( ) there is a new reform in that level, so the kids at the age of five have to start the obligatory pre- school education (2011). According to the new policy; the private persons, institutions and foundations can organize the care of the kids. It is a simply a trend of privatization this sector of education.

Statistics 2009/2010

Some data The total number of students: The total number of teachers: , plus – 81% of teachers are women 2010/2011 the number of students in Primary education: 2,2 ml (decreasing), the average number of students at schools –203 (2001) – 168 (2009) The number of primary schools: 13,8 thousands The privatization of the schools- it is so easy to privatize the school (up to 70 students) or close it down (1500 schools)

Lower Secondary schools There are less students and classes (20%) The number of schools is increasing as well as the number of rooms and labs. From 2009 – there are 2 obligatory foreign languages taught at this school level New reform!!! From 2012 – new external exam: history, science, math and Polish and foreign language.

Secondary Schools The total number of schools New syllabus- less teaching hours for Polish language and history or other subjects like; geography, biology, chemistry (30 hours) The students need to choose the profile of the class and subjects which they would like to learn at the advanced level (2-4) and one additional subject. A new list of the obligatory literature

Tertiary education

Every fifth Pole has the diploma – 21%

The profile of the Polish teachers 97% with diploma

Teachers- salary Basic salary for a teachers that we calculate the average salary: increase!!! (gross) 2618,10 PLN (654,5) – 2716,60 PLN (679,15 ) The average salary from the 1st September 2012 A trainee: 2717,60PLN (679,2 ) A contract teacher: 3016,54 PLN (754,2 ) A appointed teachers: 3913,34 PLN (978,4 ) A diploma teacher: 5000,38 PLN (1250,1 )

Basic salary – the whole truth The basic salary from the 1st September 2012 gross A trainee: 2265 PLN (566,3 ) A contract teacher: 2331 PLN (582,8 ) A appointed teachers: 2647 PLN (661,8 ) A diploma teacher: 3109 PLN (777,3 ) Petrol – 1,35 per liter/ oil – 1,25 per liter Square meter - min / in the cities 2000

New regulations There is a plan to change the promotion carrier for teachers – new levels Only 10% teachers at school could have the diploma level A new system of employment- contracts A new pension system 1 or 2 extra free teaching hours 12% of teachers have had the professional development (courses, studies, but 40% would like to take this way of development)

Some advantages The autonomy of schools – the programs, course books Obligatory pre-school education (5 year old children) from 2010 From 2009 – the obligatory foreign language at primary school From 2010 – the obligatory math external exam

Some conclusions The transformation of the supervisory system- new offices like national, regional quality centers – new bureaucratization, more money The liquidation of special schools for SEN kids- integral teaching Principals and deputy headmasters do not need to be teachers A new system of the gathering information of kids

Thank you for your attention We cannot allow to decrease the quality of public education We say no for a cheap student, a cheap teacher but an expensive clerk!