Comenius Foundation for Child Development 1 Monika Rosciszewska-Wozniak Malgorzata Karwowska-Struczyk Education in Poland

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 2 Poland – facts and statistics Area of square km 38,19 million inhabitants (51,6% - women, 48,4% - men) Density of population – 122 persons per square km. Decreasing birth rate (in 2003: -0.03% in 1980: +0.96%) Divorce index: 1.3 per 1000 inhabitants. Population growing old (13% people over the age of 65 in 2001, 10% in 1980) 62% live in 884 cities and towns, 38% live in the country

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 3 Poland – provision, facts and statistics 1. The Republic of Poland is a Parliamentary Republic 2. The President is the Head of State Lech Walesa Aleksander Kwasniewski (left wing –postcommunist party) 3. The Parliament (National Assembly)- members elected in the direct vote once every 4 years Sejm (Lower Chamber with its 460 representatives) Senate (Upper Chamber with its 100 representatives) 4. The territory of Poland is divided into 16 provinces (województwa) 379 districts (powiaty), of which 314 are rural districts and 65 are urban districts 2478 local self-governing authorities - municipalities (gminy) of which 307 are urban communes, 577 urban-rural and 1594 rural ones. 5. No official religion in Poland but around 90% of the population are Roman-Catholic 6. Official language - Polish. 7. 3% of total population - national minorities: German, Kashubian, Byelorussian and Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Slovak, Lemkov, Greek and Hebrew

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 4 Poland - education system

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 5 Preprimary settings in Poland 1. Under the Educational Law of 7 September 1991, the partial and full care and education settings: first category: creches, preschools, kindergartens and schools second category: small children's homes, children's homes, foster families, care centers for children and young people and child emergency centers. 2. Formal and informal partial care for children up to four years of age creches or nurseries for children from the age of 3 months up to 4 years run by the Ministry of Health and Social Security private nurseries schools (or preschools), child minders, relatives, etc.

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 6 Preschools and kindergartens 1. Preprimary settings for 3-6 year-old children: public or nonpublic. 2. Approximately 54% of 3-6 year-old attend either preschools or kindergartens attached to primary schools. 3. Kindergarten is obligatory for 6-year-olds (from 1 September 2004) 4. The rest of children cared by mothers or fathers (unpaid maternal leave after the paid maternity leave), relatives, nannies.

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 7 Main problems Children attending pre-schools in Poland in 2002 Governmental and political (post communistic trade union) lack of will for other (alternative), good quality but cheaper provision of ECE. Jobs leaving by teacher The quality of pedagogical work and experiences gained by children. Decrease of the number of children attending preprimary settings Unequal participation of different age children in the total attending preschool settings. Lack of preschools (public and non public) in rural area.

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 8 Number of pre-schools (source: GUS – the Main Statistical Office) 4 and more (516) 3(209) 2(400) 1(1061) 0(869) Poland – provision, facts and statistics In 869 municipalities there is no single preschool

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 9  self-esteem  natural curiosity  Where There Are No Pre-schools Programme Our aim is to create child-centered wide environment to help develop children’s:  creativity  social skills  readiness for learning

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 10 Municipalities where WTANP has been implemented  9 regions  14 municipalities  42 ECD Centres  52 children’s groups  52 teachers  7 local supervisors  more than 520 children March 2005  Where There Are No Pre-schools Programme

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 11  Centres placed in libraries, culture houses, schools etc.  Centres adapted to children’s needs  10 children per group  Cooperation with parents  Minimum 9 hours per week WTANP Centres – main rules  Where There Are No Pre-schools Programme

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 12  Selection of teachers - tests, interviews, verification of the candidates’ pedagogic skills  Teacher training (all together 140 hours) - initial training - local training  Quality monitoring system - selecting Local Supervisors - developing Local Supervisors’ knowledge on ECD - monthly visits of Local Supervisor in the Centres - monthly planning meetings of teachers from the municipality with Local Supervisor  Educational materials for teachers - programme for Centres’ Operation - handbook for teachers - libraries for teachers and parents Maintaining the Programme quality  Where There Are No Pre-schools Programme

Comenius Foundation for Child Development 13  Increase in the pre-school attendance rate  Children from Centers perform very well at school  Disabled children adapt very well to the Centers  Developing teachers’ pedagogic skills  Involving parents in the activities of Centres  Mobilizing local communities  Promotion of rural municipalities  Lowering the unemployment rate - 30 % of teachers working in the Centres were previously unemployed  Model solution for East-South European countries The WTAMP Programme has been recognised by Working Group E "Making the best use of resources", at the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the EU as a model programme to be spread in the EU countries.  Where There Are No Pre-schools Programme - effects average attendance rate in the year 2004 – 34% (for rural areas in Polen 16%) average increase in comparison with the year 2000 – 22%