Care for children aged up to 3 years

A crèche which provides care to more than 20 children is required to employ at least one nurse or midwife.  They hold a qualification required to practise the nursing or midwifery profession and, like other staff in a crèche or kids’ club, meet additional formal and legal requirements (for example, a guarantee of proper care; full parental rights; no criminal record). 

To support staff in childcare, crèches and kids’ clubs can have volunteers who hold qualifications of a childminder (see Qualifications, evaluation, certificates in Chapter 8.1 ‘Initial education for teachers working in early childhood and school education’) or have completed a training course in first aid for children. 

Preschool education and school education

Nursery schools and / or schools and other educational institutions employ, in particular, support teachers, teacher assistants, Roma education assistants, teachers-librarians, and school nurses, school hygienists, dentists and dental hygienists.

Support teacher

The arrangements for the involvement of support teachers (nauczyciel wspomagający) are set out in the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 9 August 2017 on the conditions for education and care provided to children and young people with disabilities, socially maladjusted pupils and pupils at risk of social maladjustment, as subsequently amended (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 9 sierpnia 2017 r. w sprawie warunków organizowania kształcenia, wychowania i opieki dla dzieci i młodzieży niepełnosprawnych, niedostosowanych społecznie i zagrożonych niedostosowaniem społecznym, z późn. zm.).

Support teachers are employed, in addition to regular teachers, to co-provide: 

• inclusive education in integration nursery schools, schools and classes; or 

• education for pupils with disabilities, socially maladjusted pupils and those at risk of social maladjustment in alternative preschool education settings, mainstream nursery schools and schools; integration nursery schools, schools or classes; and special nursery schools, schools and classes. 

The following types of nursery schools and schools employ support teachers on a mandatory basis:

• integration nursery schools and schools and mainstream nursery schools and schools with integration classes; and

• mainstream nursery schools and schools which provide special education to pupils with autism, including Asperger’s syndrome, or multiple disabilities.

With the consent of the school administering body, a support teacher can also work in a mainstream nursery school or school which provides special education to pupils with other types of disabilities, socially maladjusted pupils or pupils at risk of social maladjustment.

According to the new national standards for initial teacher education and qualification requirements, a support teacher must hold a Master’s degree (magister of equivalent) (ISCED level 7), a field-specific qualification in Special Education, and complete a teacher training programme. The Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 14 September 2023 on the detailed qualification requirements for teachers (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z dnia 14 września 2023 r. w sprawie szczegółowych kwalifikacji wymaganych od nauczycieli) provides for various possible combinations of qualification requirements and related initial education paths. 

Prospective support teachers can obtain a field-specific qualification upon completion of a long-cycle programme, a first-cycle programme followed by a second-cycle programme or only a second-cycle programme in the field of Special Education or the subject area of special education in another field, based on the initial teacher education standard. Those who have chosen a different field of study or subject area based on the initial teacher education standard can complete a non-degree postgraduate programme or a qualification course in special education. 

A teacher training programme can be completed as part of a degree programme in a specific field or a non-degree postgraduate programme. 

Teacher assistant

Teacher assistants (pomoc nauczyciela) are non-teaching staff. 

As part of their responsibilities, teacher assistants supports teachers, in particular, in the education and care for pupils with disabilities, socially maladjusted pupils and pupils at risk of social maladjustment. A teacher assistant can also support, for up to 12 months, pupils who are non-Polish nationals and participate in full-time or part-time compulsory education, but have no or insufficient knowledge of the Polish language to attend classes. The head of a nursery school or school provides a detailed job description for a teacher assistant, depending on the specific needs of pupils.

Pursuant to the above-mentioned Regulation of the Minister of National Education on the conditions for education and care provided to children and young people with disabilities, socially maladjusted pupils and pupils at risk of social maladjustment, a teacher assistant is employed on a mandatory basis in:

• mainstream nursery schools and schools which provide special education to pupils with autism, including Asperger’s syndrome, or multiple disabilities;

• special nursery schools, mainstream nursery schools with special classes and in Grades I to IV of special primary schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes, for pupils with a moderate or severe intellectual disability, a motor disability, including aphasia, autism, including Asperger’s syndrome, or multiple disabilities.

With the consent of the school administering body, teacher assistants can also work in other nursery schools or schools which take pupils with disabilities, socially maladjusted pupils or pupils at risk of social maladjustment.

The legislation on school education does not establish any specific qualification requirements for teacher assistants. However, like other staff working in the school education system, a candidate must provide a certificate of no criminal record from the National Criminal Register and may not be subject of any criminal proceedings. Pursuant to the generally applicable Act of 26 June 1974, The Labour Code, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 26 czerwca 1974 r., Kodeks pracy, z późn. zm.), a person holding this position is required to have at least a primary school leaving certificate (ISCED level 2) and skills necessary to carry out their duties. 

Roma education assistant

Roma education assistants (asystent edukacji romskiej) work in nursery schools and schools. Their main task is to improve school attendance and learning achievements of pupils of Roma origin, and thus, enable them to continue their education and, in broader terms, to support integration of the Roma minority in Poland. An assistant provides direct support to pupils and collaborates with teachers, for example, to identify specific needs of pupils and mediate in difficult or conflict situations, and with parents on any matters related to the education of their children.

The legislation does not specify qualification requirements for Roma education assistants. However, like other school education staff, a candidate is required to provide a certificate of no criminal record from the National Criminal Register and may not be subject of any criminal proceedings. 

Teacher-librarian

The responsibilities of teachers-librarians (nauczyciel-bibliotekarz) are specified in the statutes of a school (or another educational institution, except for a nursery school). In addition to working in the school library, they normally run classes for pupils on how to use the library as part of reading-and-information education.

A teacher-librarian must hold a qualification in library and information studies and complete a teacher training programme. The Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 14 September 2023 on the detailed qualification requirements for teachers (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z dnia 14 września 2023 r. w sprawie szczegółowych kwalifikacji wymaganych od nauczycieli) provides for various possible combinations of qualification requirements and related initial education paths. 

According to the new national standards for initial teacher education, prospective teachers-librarians can obtain a field-specific qualification upon completion of a programme leading to a Master’s degree (magister or equivalent) (ISCED 7) (a long-cycle programme or a second-cycle programme following a first-cycle programme) in the subject area of library and information studies, based on the new standard. Those who have chosen a different subject area in a field of study based on the new teacher education standard may complete a postgraduate programme or a qualification course in the subject area of library and information studies. 

A teacher training programme can be completed as part of a degree programme in a required field or a non-degree postgraduate programme.

Staff providing healthcare 

Pursuant to the Act of 12 April 2019 on the Healthcare Services for Pupils (ustawa z dnia 12 kwietnia 2019 r. o opiece zdrowotnej nad uczniami),  healthcare in schools for children and young people (except for stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools, which take adult learners) is provided by a school nurse or a school hygienist, and dental healthcare by a dentist and a dental hygienist. 

As part of his/her responsibilities, a school nurse or school hygienist, for example, provides preventive healthcare services to pupils, collects information about their health and development, shares it with parents and pupils, and supports them in using preventive healthcare services and carrying out a medical doctor’s orders or medical recommendations. A dentist, supported by a dental hygienist, provides preventive and general dental care services to pupils.  Healthcare staff also work together with the school head and teaching staff in providing health education and promoting healthy lifestyles. 

A school nurse holds qualifications required of a nurse or midwife. Those who do not have a Master’s degree (magister or equivalent) (ISCED level 7) must complete a specialist training course or a qualification course in nursing in educational settings or family or paediatric nursing. In such cases a midwife is also required to have at least 5 years of work experience in an educational setting.

A school hygienist must have a medical secondary education qualification (ISCED level 3) in the occupation of school hygienist and at least 5 years of work experience in an educational setting. 

A dentist holds a dental practitioner degree (ISCED 7) which can be obtained upon completion of a long-cycle (Master’s degree) programme in the field of Dentistry. 

A prospective dental hygienist is required to complete a post-secondary school (ISCED 4) and obtain the title or diploma of a Dental Hygienist or complete at least a first-cycle (Bachelor’s degree) (ISCED 6) programme in a field or specialisation area of dental hygiene or a field which covers training in this area.