2025
Supporting the university's offer of adult competence development through the NAVOICA platform
3 January 2025
Project Title: Supporting the offer of the university in the field of adult competence development through the NAVOICA platform
Tasks, activities to be implemented within the framework of the Project
The project envisages preparing and making available on the NAVOICA platform a minimum of 150 new MOOC (massive open online course) courses, the topics of which will respond to the needs of adults as non-standard learners in higher education. They will include content in line with the diagnosed needs of employers and the labour market, which focus on universities' support of lifelong learning and adaptation to the needs of economic development and human resources training for the green and digital economy. The courses will be developed by the universities in cooperation with employers and partners from the socio-economic environment and e-learning methodologists, taking into account the development challenges and needs of the regional labour markets.
The main tasks envisaged for the Project include the preparation and carrying out of the call for proposals procedure, development of the substantive content of e-learning courses by the universities and publication of the courses on the NAVOICA platform by the Information Processing Centre - National Research Institute.
Target groups of the Project
The target group of the Project are universities, which are not in the process of liquidation and at the same time, at the moment of the offer submission, have positive assessment of the quality of education by the Polish Accreditation Committee in the field(s), which will be covered by the courses created by them. Moreover, recipients of the support will be all adults interested in the realisation of the courses, including adults active on the labour market.
Project objective
The aim of the project is to support the development of adult competences and the idea of lifelong learning. This will be achieved through the preparation of free MOOC-type courses by universities and making them available to the whole society. These courses will be available in an asynchronous model on the NAVOICA educational platform, with no limit on the number of participants.
Project results
The result of the Project will be the preparation and availability of open e-learning courses of MOOC type on NAVOICA platform.
Value of the Project (total eligible expenditure): PLN 19,373,825.96 PLN.
Amount of European funding (amount of European Funds contribution): PLN 15,987,281.18 PLN.
2024
European Union funding for the development of digital competences
17 May 2024
One of the flagship projects funded by the EU Funds for Social Development programme are the Digital Development Clubs. These will be points operating in municipalities, where all those who wish to - especially adults - will be able to develop their digital skills. The clubs will be set up, for example, in municipal libraries and cultural centres, close to the citizens. The staff of the clubs will support citizens in the use of electronic public services, e.g. related to health care. In addition, classes will be organised to develop the digital competences of adults and improve their ability to use new technologies safely.
The initiative is being implemented in three phases. During the first one, i.e. the ‘KRC Support’ project, a so-called framework for the operation of Digital Development Clubs has already been developed in cooperation with partners. In addition, training materials will be prepared for the educators who will be employed in the Clubs. A special educational and communication platform for them will also be created. The assumptions and standards for the operation of the Clubs, developed in the framework document, will be tested in practice through a competition called ‘KRC Pilot stage’, under which 64 Clubs will be established with earmarked funding of 30,7 million PLN.
The experience of the municipalities from the pilot stage will be evaluated. On this basis, the Digital Poland Project Centre will update the standards of the Clubs' activities (framework document). Then it is planned to disseminate this concept throughout the country via the last stage of the project - ‘KRC Scaling’. The recruitment for this stage is planned for 2026. Beneficiaries selected in the competitions of the pilot and scaling stages will be able to rely on the support of the ‘KRC Support’ project team of experts throughout the implementation of the projects.
2023
Pre-consultation of the Digital Transformation Policy for Education in Poland
9 November 2023
On 9 November 2023, a pre-consultation of the Policy for Digital Transformation of Education in Poland (PCTE) was launched. All comments and suggestions submitted will be forwarded to a team, which will analyse the proposals and introduce modifications to the draft policy. The pre-consultation is one of the stages of the planned introduction of the policy.
The Digital Transformation Centre team at the Ministry of Education and Science has created a proposal for a strategic digital transformation policy in the field of education. The document includes well-considered state interventions, suggests the use of ICT in Polish schools and educational institutions - from nursery school and schools to universities - and proposes measures to counteract the negative effects of technology use, such as cyber threats, disinformation or digital addiction. The vision of digitalisation is spread over several time perspectives, short term (until 2025), medium term (until 2030) and long term (after 2030).
Comments and feedback on the project are being collected until 8 December 2023.
The preparation of the draft policy stems from the need to have one coherent and comprehensive document to coordinate the goals and activities related to the digital transformation of education. The activities described in the policy text are to contribute to the achievement of the objectives and will enable cooperation, planning and evaluation of activities at central, regional and local levels. The PCTE defines strategic goals that all actors involved in education activities should work towards.
Guidance on the use of micro-credentials in higher education and science institutions
31 October 2023
The Ministry of Education and Science has developed guidelines for the use of micro-credentials in higher education and science institutions in Poland. The publication of the guidelines and good practices of higher education institutions using micro credentials is intended to help standardise the principles and disseminate knowledge on the subject.
Micro-credentials are descriptions of learning outcomes that a learner has achieved with little learning effort. These outcomes are assessed on the basis of transparent and clearly defined criteria.
Micro-credentials are issued by schools, universities, NGOs, reputable institutions and companies on the basis of transparent criteria.
The micro-credentials guidelines aim to develop standards for micro-credentials, to facilitate their use for educational purposes, to support self-directed learning and to validate learning outcomes.
Micro-credentials most often relate to formal education, i.e. they are mainly issued by universities. A type of micro-credentials, now more often issued in non-formal education, are digital badges in the Open Badges standard.
An example of a service created for issuing, collecting, storing and sharing digital credentials in the form of the Open Badges standard is the Polish application Odznaka+.
National Reading Development Programme 2.0 for 2021-2025 - summary of implementation in 2022
12 June 2023
The aim of the National Reading Development Programme 2.0 (NPRCz 2.0) is to improve the condition of readership in Poland and to strengthen the role of public, school and pedagogical libraries as local centres of social life, providing a centre of access to culture and knowledge. The planned budget of the programme for 2021-2025 is nearly PLN 1.1 billion, of which PLN 635 million is from the state budget.
The NPRCz 2.0 Programme distinguishes four Priorities:
- Priority 1: Improving the offer of public libraries - operator: the National Library,
- Priority 2: Investment in the infrastructure of public libraries - operator: the Book Institute,
- Priority 3: Purchase of new publications for pre-school, school and pedagogical libraries - operator: Ministry of Education and Science,
- Priority 4: Grant programme for libraries and promotion of readership - operator: National Centre for Culture.
The NPRCz Programme in pre-school education
In the 2.0 edition of the NPRCz Programme, pre-school settings can benefit from support. In 2022, almost 3 000 (2 943) of them with a total of 296,075 children received funds.
The leaders in the use of funds by kindergartens are the following regions:
- małopolskie (407 pre-school settings),
- mazowieckie (361),
- śląskie (305),
- podkarpackie (301).
In total, 538,982 books were purchased for pre-school education institutions, including:
- 533,805 paper books,
- 4,588 audiobooks,
- 589 electronic books.
Library corners or small libraries were set up in nursery schools across the country. Books were displayed, for example in the lobby of the nursery school or in the cloakroom, in order to get not only children, but also parents interested in reading.
In addition, as part of their pro-reading activities, pre-schools organised family reading meetings, meetings with authors of children's books, theatre performances and shows of fairy tales or literary workshops. Participation in the "All of Poland Reads to Kids" and "Reading has Power" events has become a tradition in many nursery schools.
The NPRCz Programme in school and pedagogical libraries
In 2022, 2,801 schools participated in the programme, including 2,076 primary schools and 725 secondary schools. Schools in the following regions were the most likely to benefit from support:
- lubelskie (443 schools),
- mazowieckie (398 schools),
- małopolskie (281 schools).
In 2022, 2,506 school libraries and 57 pedagogical libraries (a total of 2,563 libraries) were supported under Priority 3 of NPRCz 2.0. These libraries purchased 935,961 new books.
2022
PLN 20 million to support intergenerational integration - competition results
26 October 2022
181 projects on intergenerational education and integration will be funded by the Intergenerational Education Centres - Support for Intergenerational Integration programme. The Ministry of Education and Science has allocated almost PLN 20 million for this purpose.
The aim of the new Ministry of Education and Science programme 'Intergenerational Education Centres - supporting intergenerational integration' is to expand the range of extra-curricular activities aimed at building social ties and developing intergenerational cooperation. The programme is based on the concept of lifelong learning and intergenerational education.
The programme was aimed at non-governmental organisations, including scouting organisations, as well as entities carrying out statutory activities in the field of education, whose projects support intergenerational integration. Integration should be based on the exchange of knowledge, experience and skills and promote lifelong learning and shape competences related to personal, social, civic and professional development.
National Reading Development Programme 2.0. for 2021-2025 - call for 2023
12 October 2022
"National Programme for the Development of Reading 2.0. for 2021-2025" is a continuation of the government programme (first edition in 2016-2020), which aims to create conditions for the development of reading by providing funds for the implementation of specific projects and initiatives. Under Priority 3 of the Programme, support can be provided to:
- pre-school settings - for the purchase of books for children and activities promoting reading,
- schools and pedagogical libraries - for the purchase of books and equipment for children's libraries and activities to promote reading.
The Ministry of Education and Science will allocate almost PLN 30 million in 2023 for the purchase of new books, library equipment and the implementation of reading promotion activities.
Financial support may be granted:
- for pre-schools for:
- purchase of books that are new publications for children aged 3-6,
- implementation of activities promoting reading.
- for schools for:
- purchase of books that are new publications and not textbooks,
- purchase of new equipment for school libraries:
- purchase of computer equipment for use by the librarians,
- purchase of software for libraries,
- purchase of e-book readers,
- purchase of equipment for the interior of the library, in particular bookcases, shelves, desks, cupboards, armchairs and lighting elements,
- implementation of reading promotion activities.
Financial support will be granted to the school running body, school or pedagogical library on condition that it provides an own contribution of at least 20% of the amount of the implementation costs of the task covered by the financial support.