Successes and Challenges POLAND Successes and Challenges Educational Reforms Strong Performers and Successful Reformers – Lessons from PISA Tokyo, 28-29 June 2011 by Mr. Miroslaw Sielatycki, Under-Secretary of State Ministry of national Education ate

Outline of the presentation The main findings of PISA Programme for Poland 2. The comprehensive reforms of the educational system toward the LLL strategy 3. Conclusions from the Polish experience

Poland Country of: political, social and economic transformation educational boom high aspirations of young people still on the way ….

Polish educational boom in focus   1989 2011 tertiary education students 400 000 2 million participation in higher education 10% 41,2 % (4 times more) students of upper secondary schools leading to maturity exam 40% 84% teaches with university diploma (ISCED 5) 50% 600 000 teachers 98% pre-primary education participation 30% 67,5%

Developing students’ competences – the example of reading literacy Poland is among the 13 countries that showed improvements in average reading performance in PISA since 2000 The main sources of these improvements: development of competences of lowest-performing students development of competences of girls These trends apply also to Poland

Main findings of PISA 2000-2009 in Poland Polish 15-year-old students’ mean performance in reading versus OECD average in 2000-2009

Main findings of PISA 2000-2009 in Poland Percentage of students below proficiency level 2 in reading in 2000-2009

Main findings of PISA 2000-2009 in Poland Change in the percentage of low and top performers in reading across 13 countries in 2000-2009

Main findings of PISA 2000-2009 in Poland Improvement of reading performance among boys and girls in 2000-2009 in chosen countries

Main findings of PISA 2000-2009 in Poland Variance in student performance between schools in Poland in 2000-2009 versus OECD The variance in student performance between schools was reduced (the most significant result in EU and OECD countries). It concerned students’ achievements in all competences measured by PISA (reading, mathematics, science).

Main findings of PISA 2000-2009 in Poland Improvement in students’ performance and reduction in variance in students’ performance between schools results from comprehensive reforms of the educational system PISA 2000 examined the previous system of education PISA 2003 - 2009 examined the new one

Polish way to success long-term and comprehensive reforms Three stages of the educational reforms 1989 - transformation - beginning of the changes in education 1999 - systemic change in educational system 2009 - complementary reforms

POLAND – the first stage of the reforms 1989 - change of the political system in Poland I. Bottom up reforms release of educational potential - non-public schools, innovations II. Top down reforms decentralization of the system greater autonomy of schools increase of teachers’ salary (up to the country’s average salary) first long - term educational strategy - „Good and modern school” 1996 - OECD accession (1994 - review of educational policy in Poland) National Centre for Teachers’ In-Service Training established Giving up ideology in curriculum

POLAND – the second stage of the reforms 1999 – continuation of educational reforms I. administrative reform of the country - schools’ management delegated to local authorities II. changes of the system of education structural reform - creation of the lower secondary schools (ISCED2) – longer compulsory general education introduction of the external system of national assessment adoption of the core curriculum and national standards reform of the teachers initial education at the universities introduction of the teachers’ career promotion system

general education extended by one year Change of the structure of school system Polish way to success – longer together Changes introduced since 1999: introduction of the new school type - ISCED 2 and extension of comprehensive compulsory education by one year (related to 15-year-olds) ISCED 0 ISCED 1 ISCED 2 ISCED 3 ISCED 4-6 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 ISCED 0 ISCED 1-2 ISCED 3 ISCED 4-6 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 PRIMARY SCHOOL LOWER SECONDARY PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION UPPER SECONDARY GENERAL UPPER SECONDARY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL BASIC VOCATIONAL SCHOOL Previous structure of school system (PISA 2000): New structure of school system (PISA 2003, 2006): UPPER SECONDARY GENERAL general education extended by one year 15

Agenda Structure of higher secondary education (ISCED 3) Number of students at first grade Standardy/wskazówki do SIWZ Regulaminy dot. Zamówień publicznych Współpraca międzyzespołowa/szkolenia Planowanie prac: zespół analityczno-informatyczny, prawnicy Eksperci banku światowego

Poland – the third stage of the reforms 2009 – complementary reforms new core curriculum - based on learning outcomes compulsory education at the age of 6 compulsory pre-school education for 5 years olds modernization of the vocational education and training - based on the European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) individual approach to teaching - special attention given to talented students and to the students with learning difficulties development of Life-Long Learning Strategy National Qualifications’ Framework - based on European Qualifications’ Framework - in progress

Context of the comprehensive reform – educational aspiration Is it worth gaining education? 1993 – 2009 Significant growth of citizens' educational aspirations in 1993 - 2009: 91% of adult Poles believe that it is important to get an education, of which 68% are strong supporters of this idea

POLAND - strengths of the educational system small share of early school leavers - 5,3% (EU average 14,4%) high rate of people (20-24) with completed upper secondary education - 91% - the third result in EU (EU average 78,6%) high tertiary education attainment 35,3% (EU average 33,6%) small share of adults (25-64) with education below upper secondary - 14% (the average for OECD countries is 30%) small share of low achievers in reading - 15% (EU average 20.0%) highly qualified teachers - 98% with the ISCED 5 diploma

Teachers qualifications – from 50% to 98% with university diploma compensation – increase by 50% in the last 4 years 90% participate in professional development insufficient number of candidates for teaching profession

Main challenges early childhood education and care only 67,5 % of children is participating in early childhood education (EU average is 92.3%). still large variance in student performance between schools at the level of ISCED 3 (vocational vs. general education) high unemployment rate of the graduates – apox. 26% life long learning - only 4,7 of adults participate in life long learning in Poland (EU average is 9,3%)

In general In Poland the results of educational system (schools and universities) are good or very good More work is now needed in: early childhood education vocational education in life-long learning

Conclusions from the Polish experience Comprehensive approach to the changes in education one of the most extensive reforms of education in OECD and UE countries evolutional not revolutional changes (in Poland they affect 300 000 schools, 800 000 teachers and 6 million of students) Ensuring better general education for all with individualization of teaching (ISCED 3)

Conclusions from Polish experience Taking advantage of existing educational potential improvement among lowest performing students (revealed in PISA in 2000-2009) Proper monitoring of the system and development of evidence based policy participation in international programmes (like PISA, TIMSS/PIRLS, TALIS, TEDS-M, PIAAC) development of national educational research capabilities and data collection systems

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