POLISH SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN 2016

According to Polish Constitution: Every person has the right to education Education is compulsory until the age of 18 Education in public schools is free of charge Parents are free to choose schools other than public ones for their children Public authorities provide citizens with general and equal access to education

The system of education is centrally managed by two institutions: the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

There are public and non-public schools in Poland There are public and non-public schools in Poland. Approximately, 95% Polish students at the compulsory schooling age attend public schools providing free education within the core curriculum 4

EDUCATIONAL STAGES

EARLY CHILDCHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE Early childhood education and care (ECEC) consists of two stages for two age groups that are provided with different settings Children aged 0-3 Children aged 3-6 Cèrches (żłobki) Kids clubs (kluby dziecięce) Kindergarten (przedszkola) Pre-school classes in primary schools (oddziały przedszkolne w szkołach podstawowych)

Crèches and kids clubs formally do not belong to the system of education and are optional and determined by parents.

Kindergartens and other pre-school institutions are part of the system supervised by the Ministry of National Education. Pre-school education is optional for children aged 3-5 years, but compulsory for 6-year-olds (since this year).

Stages in compulsory education   Duration Age of pupils Kindergarten 1 year 6* (5)** Primary school 6 years 7-13* (6-12)** Lower secondary school / middle school/ junior high school 3 years 13-16* (12-15)** * since this year and before 2011 ** between 2011 and 2015

PRIMARY SCHOOL

LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL

Non-compulsory education Type of school   Duration Age of pupils General upper secondary school / senior high school 3 years 16-19* (15-18)** Technical upper secondary school 4 years 16-20* (15-19)** Basic vocational school Post-secondary (non-tertiary) school 1-2.5 years 19-21* (18-20)** Tertiary education, e.g. universities e.g. 5 years (can be divided into 3 years + 2 years) 21 and older * since this year and before 2011 ** between 2011 and 2015

SCHOOL YEAR , SUBJECTS AND THE ASSESSMENT The school year comprises around 180 days, from September to June, and is divided into two semesters/terms. The compulsory subjects are in general spread over five weekdays.

The number of pupils in the class is not always the same everywhere The number of pupils in the class is not always the same everywhere. However it is recommended that it should not exceed 25.

In a typical Polish school, classes start at 8. 00 am In a typical Polish school, classes start at 8.00 am. Depending on the stage of education, school finishes at 1.00-3.00 pm.

Compulsory subjects at particular educational stages: Primary education is divided into two cycles: Stage 1: grades 1-3 and Stage 2: grades 4-6. In the grade 1-3 one teacher, who is also a class tutor, teaches all subjects (integrated teaching) while in the grades 4-6 subjects are taught by different teachers.

The subjects taught at the second stage are the following: Polish language, History and civics, modern foreign language (mostly English), Mathematics, Science, Music, Art, Technology, Computer classes, Physical Education, lessons with class tutor, and Religious Education (optional). In the lower secondary school pupils study: Polish language, History, Civic Education, two modern foreign languages (one of which is mostly English), Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Art, Music, Technology, IT, Education for Safety, PE, lessons with class tutor, and Religious Education (optional).

At the end of the 3-year lower secondary school pupils are obliged to take the external examination that consists of three parts: humanities, mathematics and science and a modern foreign language. The results of the examination together with the final assessment determine admission to upper secondary school.   In upper secondary school the subjects are similar to those in lower secondary school. The difference is in the level of advance. At the end of the 3- year upper secondary school the majority of pupils take the external matriculation examination that consists of written and oral parts. If passed, it entitles pupils for admission to higher education.

Assessment In years 1-3 of primary education the assessment is descriptive. Starting with the second stage of the primary education pupils are given marks according to the 6-1 scale: GRADING SYSTEM: 6 - excellent 5 - very good 4 - good 3 - satisfactory 2 - acceptable 1 – unsatisfactory

The assessment consists in examining the knowledge and skills level throughout the school year. It is carried out mainly on the basis of regular written and oral tests. Pupils who obtain unsatisfactory results often repeat a year. Those who obtain very good and excellent results graduate with distinction marked on their report card.  

Educational system in Poland is still changing and every year brings something new. We hope the “new” will be “better”, too. Both for our students and us ;)

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