Compulsory Education

The Constitution of the Republic of Poland (Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) introduced compulsory education (acquisition of qualifications) until the age of 18. Pursuant to the Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education (ustawa z 14 grudnia 2016 – Prawo oświatowe), compulsory education comprises full-time school education in the primary school, and full-time compulsory education (in school or non-school settings), which young people can receive, for example, in a public or non-public post-primary school or as part of vocational training at an employer’s organisation. 

Compulsory education is divided into:

• one-year compulsory preschool preparation;

• full-time compulsory school education (requirement to attend school) which starts at the beginning of the school year in the calendar year when the child reaches the age of 7 and lasts until the completion of education in the primary school, but not beyond the age of 18;

• full-time compulsory education (requirement to participate in education or training in school or non-school settings) for young people who have finished the primary school and continue compulsory education until the age of 18, in particular, in a post-primary school or as part of vocational training at an employer’s organisation.

Children and young people can also participate in compulsory education in nursery schools or schools abroad and at foreign diplomatic missions in Poland. A pupil who has finished a post-primary school before reaching the age of 18 can also further pursue compulsory education by taking courses at a higher education institution.

Structure of the school education system

In accordance with the Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education (ustawa z 14 grudnia 2016 – Prawo oświatowe), the school education system includes, in particular, the following preschool institutions and schools:

• nursery schools (przedszkole) and other preschool education settings: preschool education centres (punkt przedszkolny) and preschool education units (zespół wychowania przedszkolnego), referred to as small nursery schools;

• primary schools (szkoła podstawowa);

• post-primary schools; and

• art schools.

Colleges of social work are similar to higher education institutions, but they are considered as part of the broadly defined school education system (currently, there are only 4 colleges in total). 

Higher education institutions form a separate higher education system. 

For a diagram presenting the Polish education system, see the Overview.

In addition to the above-mentioned schools, the school education system includes the following types of institutions:

• education and care institutions (for example, youth culture centres, interschool sports centres) where children and young people can develop their interests and talents and participate in various leisure and free time activities;

• continuing education centres, vocational training centres and sectoral skills centres, where learners can acquire and broaden vocational knowledge and skills and acquire or upgrade qualifications;

• art institutions: art centres which develop artistic interests and talents;

• counselling and guidance centres (referred to as psychological and educational support centres), including specialised services, which provide counselling (educational and psychological support) to children, young people, parents and teachers, and guidance to children in the choice of the field of study or occupation;

• youth care centres, youth social-therapy centres, special schooling and education centres and special educational centres for children and young people requiring special organisation of education, methods of work and education; and centres providing compulsory education to children and young people with severe intellectual disabilities and intellectual disabilities combined with multiple physical disabilities;

• institutions providing care and education to pupils participating in education away from their home (for example, boarding houses, children’s holiday homes);

• in-service teacher training institutions;

• educational resources centres (referred to as pedagogical or education libraries).

Preschool education is provided to children at the age of 3 and above. Six-year-old children follow a compulsory one-year preschool education programme. 

Education in the 8-year primary school (szkoła podstawowa) is divided into two stages: the first stage, Grades I to III, offers integrated early school education, and the second stage, Grades IV to VIII, provides subject-based education. All pupils in Grade VIII of the primary school take the external eighth-grader exam. 

Subsequently, they can continue education in the following types of post-primary schools: 

• 4-year general secondary school (liceum ogólnokształcące), where pupils can take the maturity exam;

• 5-year technical secondary school (technikum), where pupils can take the maturity exam and a vocational exam;

• 3-year stage I sectoral vocational school (branżowa szkoła I stopnia), where pupils can take a vocational exam; 

• 2-year stage II sectoral vocational school (branżowa szkoła II stopnia), where pupils who have finished a 3-year stage I sectoral vocational school can continue education and take the maturity exam and a vocational exam; 

• 3-year school preparing for employment (szkoła specjalna przysposabiająca do pracy), which provides training for a specific occupation.  

Secondary school graduates can train for an occupation in a post-secondary school, where programmes last up to 2.5 years, if they have finished a secondary school or a sectoral vocational school and have passed a vocational exam. 

Three types of external exam are conducted in the school system: the eighth-grader exam, the maturity exam and vocational exams. The first one ‘sums up’ the pupil’s achievements in the primary school, thus indirectly determining the path for further education (as pupils with higher achievements can choose from a wider range of post-primary schools in the admissions process). The maturity exam provides access to higher education. Further details about the external examination system are available on the website of the Central Examination Board (Centralna Komisja Egzaminacyjna).

Home-based education

The Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education (ustawa z 14 grudnia 2016 – Prawo oświatowe) (Article 37) states that children can participate in one-year compulsory preschool preparation and compulsory education outside of an educational institution, that is, at home where they are taught by their parents. As a form of compulsory education, home-based education can be provided based on a permit from the head of the relevant educational institution (a nursery school, primary or post-primary school). A permit is issued at the parents’ request.

Parents should submit an application for a permit together with the following documents:

• a statement from the parents confirming that they will provide conditions for the child to follow the national core curriculum for a given education stage; and

• a statement where the parents undertake that the child will take so-called annual qualifying exams in each school year. Qualifying exams are conducted by the school whose head issued the permit for the child to participate in compulsory education outside of school. 

The legislation does not set any qualification requirements for parents or other individuals involved in home-based education.

Pupils participating in compulsory education outside school receive end-of-year marks based on results of end-of-year qualifying exams, which cover a relevant part of the core curriculum, as agreed with the school head for a given school year. Pupils do not receive a mark for conduct. 

Schools offer support to pupils participating in home-based compulsory education and to their parents: pupils can participate in after-class activities, classes/activities developing abilities and interests, rehabilitation classes/activities, and career guidance activities. They also have access to textbooks, educational resources, exercise materials and teaching and learning aids available in a given school (where this is agreed with its head), and can seek advice from school staff to prepare for end-of-year qualifying exams. 

The home-based education arrangement for compulsory education can be terminated at the parents’ request; in the case of the pupil’s unexcused absence from end-of-year qualifying exams or failure to pass them; or in case a permit for home-based education was issued in contravention of the law.

Structure of the higher education system

In terms of the types and levels of programmes, higher education is divided into:

• specialist programmes: programmes of at least 3 semesters, provided by public and non-public non-university higher education institutions. A curriculum for a specialist programme sets out learning outcomes that integrate universal first-stage descriptors as defined in the Integrated Qualifications System. It includes classes / activities developing practical skills.

• first-cycle programmes: undergraduate programmes for applicants holding the maturity certificate, which provide knowledge and skills in a specific field of study and prepare for work in a specific profession, and lead to a Bachelor's degree (licencjat or inżynier);

• second-cycle programmes: graduate programmes for applicants holding a Bachelor’s (licencjat or inżynier) degree, which provide specialist knowledge in a specific field of study and prepare for creative work in a specific profession, and lead to a Master’s degree (magister) or an equivalent degree; second-cycle graduates may apply for admission to a doctoral school;

• long-cycle programmes: graduate programmes for applicants holding the maturity certificate, which provide specialist knowledge in a specific field of study and prepare for creative work in a profession, and lead to a Master’s degree (magister) or an equivalent degree; long-cycle graduates may apply for admission to a doctoral school;

• doctoral education (provided at doctoral schools): open to applicants holding a Master’s or equivalent degree, which provides advanced knowledge in a specific area or discipline of science, and prepares for independent and creative research and for the award of a doctoral degree (doktor);

• non-degree post-graduate programmes: usually fee-based, open to holders of a higher education diploma/degree.

Specialist programmes are offered at ISCED Level 5. Programmes leading to a Bachelor’s degree (licencjat or inżynier), and a Master’s degree (magister) or an equivalent degree are classified at ISCED Levels 6 and 7 respectively, and doctoral education at ISCED Level 8.  

Colleges of social work are classified in Poland at ISCED Level 5 and are not included in the higher education system (they are part of the school education system; see above).

With regard to their founding bodies, higher education institutions (HEIs) are divided into:

• public institutions, established by the State, as represented by the competent authority or public administration body; and

• non-public institutions, established by natural persons or legal persons other than a legal entity administered by the national or local authorities.

In organisational terms, they are divided into:

• university-type institutions (uczelnia akademicka), which conduct research activity and have been awarded research category/rating A+, A or B+ in at least 1 discipline of science or fine arts; and

• non-university institutions (uczelnia zawodowa), which offer programmes responding to the needs of the socio-economic environment and do not fulfil the criteria for a university-type HEI.

Several specific types of HEIs are supervised in some areas of their activity by ministers other than the minister responsible for higher education and science:

• a military HEI: a public institution supervised by the minister responsible for national defence;

• a government service HEI: a public institution supervised by the minister responsible for home affairs;

• an HEI for art studies: a public institution supervised by the minister responsible for culture and national heritage;

• a medical HEI: a public institution supervised by the minister responsible for health;

• an HEI for maritime studies: a public institution supervised by the minister responsible for maritime economy.

HEIs may use the following names:

• ‘academy’ (akademia): the term reserved for a university-type HEI;  

• ‘academy of applied sciences’ (akademia nauk stosowanych): the term reserved for an HEI which meets all of the following conditions: 

  • has operated for at least 10 years;

  • has at least 250 students, including at least 100 students enrolled on full-time programmes;

  • has at least 50% of academic teachers employed at the institution as the place of their primary employment;

  • provides first- or second-cycle or long-cycle programmes in at least 5 fields of study;

  • provides at least one degree programme leading to a qualification for a regulated profession as referred to in Article 68, section 1 of the Law on Higher Education and Science (doctor, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, midwife, biomedical analyst, physiotherapist, paramedic, veterinary surgeon, architect or teacher) or at least one programme leading to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an engineering or technology field (inżynier or magister inżynier respectively);

  • has not received a ‘negative rating’ (resulting in refusal of accreditation) for any degree programme as an outcome of an external programme evaluation conducted by the Polish Accreditation Committee;

• ‘university’(uniwersytet): the term reserved for a university-type HEI which has been awarded research category/rating A+, A or B+ in at least 6 scientific or artistic disciplines that fall within the scope of at least 3 areas of science or fine arts;

• ‘technical university’/‘university of technology’ (politechnika): the term reserved for a university-type HEI which has been awarded research category/rating A+. A or B+ in at least 2 disciplines of engineering and technology sciences.

With regard to the mode of study (referred to in the legislation as ‘form of study’) and the organisation of higher education, degree programmes are divided into:

• full-time programmes: where at least 50% of the ECTS credits allocated to the curriculum are earned in classes or courses requiring direct participation of academic staff or other staff conducting classes and students;

• part-time programmes: identified in a resolution of the senate of an HEI, where less than 50% of the ECTS credits allocated to the curriculum can be earned with direct participation of academic staff or other staff conducting classes and students.

With regard to their orientation (‘profile’), programmes are divided into:

• practically oriented programmes where more than 50% of the ECTS credits are allocated to courses or classes developing practical skills; such programmes can be provided as dual programmes, with the involvement of employers; 

• academically oriented programmes where more than 50% of the ECTS credits are allocated to courses or classes related to scientific research conducted by a given HEI.

An HEI can provide a degree programme in collaboration with a body granting a licence or right to practise a profession, a body conducting an exam for the granting of a licence or right to practise a profession, a professional self-government body, a business organisation or a registration body. A written agreement sets out collaboration arrangements for the delivery of such a programme. 

Additionally, HEIs may offer educational services such as the validation of learning outcomes. This is a formal process which verifies the learning outcomes achieved through structured learning within an institutional framework outside the higher education system, or through unstructured learning outside an institutional framework, using ways and methods enhancing the body of knowledge, skills and social competences.