Adult education is provided by:

• school for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools (which take adults but are not classified in the legislation as schools for adults), and continuing education centres, vocational training centres and sectoral skills centres (which provide education and training in non-school settings), all of them operating within the school education system; and

• entities operating outside the school education system: business entities providing education and training in accordance with the legislation on economic activity, and so-called labour market institutions providing education and training in accordance with the legislation on employment and the labour market.

Different quality assurance arrangements are in place in these two 'sub-sectors' of adult education.

Public and non-public schools and other public and non-public adult education institutions within the school education system are governed by the legislation on school education. The aims, approaches and recent reforms in the area of quality assurance in these types of schools and institutions are the same as in school education for children and young people; see Chapter 10.1 ‘Quality assurance in early childhood and school education’. The only additional arrangement in the adult education sector is that public and non-public institutions other than schools may apply on a voluntary basis for accreditation of continuing education courses to the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REA) (kurator oświaty); see Approaches and methods of quality assurance below.

There are no national regulations or recommendations setting aims or laying down quality assurance arrangements for entities which provide adult or continuing education in non-school settings outside the school education system. Such providers are not subject to pedagogical supervision exercised by the Heads of the REAs and, thus, do not undergo external inspections conducted by the REAs. They can design independently their internal quality assurance approaches.

However, like adult education institutions other than schools within the school education system, entities operating outside the school education system can voluntarily apply to the Head of the REA for the accreditation of specific types of continuing education courses. The provisions of the Act on the Value Added Tax serve as a financial incentive for such providers to apply for accreditation as accredited courses are exempt from the VAT. Thus, providers can reduce costs and increase their competitiveness on the education and training market.

Responsible bodies

For schools for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools, and institutions providing adult or continuing education in non-school settings within the school education system, the responsible bodies are the same as in school education for children and youth; see Responsible bodies in Chapter 10.1 ‘Quality assurance in early childhood and school education’.

There are no specific external quality assurance bodies for entities providing adult or continuing education outside the school education system, as part of their economic activity or labour-market training activities. Such entities may autonomously establish bodies or appoint staff responsible for internal quality assurance in accordance with their internal regulations.

Regardless of that, the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REAs) (kurator oświaty) is the body that grants accreditation to institutions within and outside the school education which provide continuing education in non-school settings. The Head of the REA is not independent from the national authorities. The REAs are a unit of government administration at the province level, and their head is appointed and dismissed by the Minister of National Education at the request of the governor of a given province (who is the head of the government administration body at province level) (for details about Heads of the REAs, see Chapter 10.1). 

The Head of the REA appoints an accreditation panel, provides administrative support to the panel and grants or refuses accreditation. An accreditation decision is based mainly on an evaluation carried out by a panel. Additionally, in the case of institutions providing continuing education in non-school settings within the school education system, the Head of the REA considers findings from pedagogical supervision which includes, among other things, external inspections (for details on inspections, see: Approaches and methods for quality assurance in Chapter 10.1).

Approaches and methods of quality assurance

For schools for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools, and institutions providing continuing education in non-school settings within the school education system, external and internal quality assurance approaches are the same as for school education for children and youth. They include external and internal pedagogical supervision (inspections), performance appraisal of teachers and performance appraisal of heads of schools and other educational institutions. (see: Approaches and methods for quality assurance in Chapter 10.1 ‘Quality assurance in early childhood and school education’)

There are no mandatory quality assurance mechanisms for entities providing adult or continuing education in non-school settings outside the school education system, as part of their economic activity or labour-market training activities. They are not subject to external pedagogical supervision, including inspections, which covers only the school education system, and adopt independently their internal quality assurance approaches.

As explained in the previous sections, both institutions other than schools within the school education system and entities operating outside the system, which provide continuing education in non-school settings, may apply on a voluntary basis for accreditation awarded by the Head of the REA.

Accreditation of continuing education in non-school settings

Accreditation arrangements for institutions and entities operating within and outside the school education system are laid down in the Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 14 grudnia 2016 r. – Prawo oświatowe, z późn. zm.), and the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 4 December 2024 on the accreditation of continuing education in non-school settings (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji z dnia 4 grudnia 2024 r. w sprawie akredytacji kształcenia ustawicznego w formach pozaszkolnych). Accreditation confirms that a course or programme complies with specific requirements and quality standards.

Accreditation can be granted to the following types of courses or programmes: 

• vocational qualification courses; 

• vocational skills courses; 

• general competences courses; 

• theoretical training programmes for juvenile workers; 

• sectoral vocational or professional training courses; and

• other courses developing or enhancing vocational knowledge and skills or upgrading vocational qualifications (if they are based on a training programme established by the regulations on the development of professional or vocational knowledge and skills or the retraining for new qualifications). 

Within the school education system, continuing education centres and vocational training centres can provide and obtain accreditation for any type of course or programme listed above, except for sectoral vocational or professional training courses. For sectoral skills centres, these include theoretical training programmes for juvenile workers, sectoral vocational or professional training courses, and other courses as defined above. Entities operating outside the school education system can offer and obtain accreditation only for vocational qualification courses.

Accreditation can be granted to institutions or entities which:

• have provided education or training in non-school settings for at least 3 years;

• have developed and implemented and regularly improve an internal quality assurance system;

• provide adequate teaching or training and learning facilities and resources;

• have qualified staff;

• implement curricula, as laid down by law, for a given type of programme or course;

• provide conditions for practical vocational training (this applies to vocational qualification courses and vocational skills courses);

• ensure safety and hygiene for the provision of a given type of programme or course;

• provide educational resources to learners; 

• keep records as required (for training programmes, classes conducted, credits and exams, certificates of completion of courses). 

Detailed requirements concerning these aspects are set out in the afore-mentioned Regulation and are used as criteria for self-evaluation and external evaluation of the entity applying for accreditation. 

The Head of the REA appoints an accreditation panel which conducts an evaluation. The panel consists of:

• two representatives of the Head of the REA, appointed from among REA staff;

• one representative of the regional labour office (for accreditation to be granted to a public adult education institution administered by district authorities) or the district labour office (for other types of institutions or entities);

• one representative of employers’ organisations selected by the Head of the REA from among candidates proposed by employers’ organisations.

At the request of the chair of the panel, the Head of the REA may also appoint an expert in a given field as a member of the panel.

In accordance with the procedure, an accreditation panel analyses the application, a self-evaluation report and other documents (including the founding act and the statutes) and conducts a visit to the sites where education or training is provided. The panel prepares a report which is submitted to the Head of the REA.

The Head of the REA grants or refuses accreditation based on the evaluation conducted by the panel. For institutions within the school education system, the Head of the REA also considers findings from pedagogical supervision, including external inspections (see: Approaches and methods for quality assurance in Chapter 10.1 ‘Quality assurance in early childhood and school education’)). All requirements/criteria should be met for a positive decision. Accreditation is awarded for 5 years.

Where it is found that an institution or entity no longer meets at least one of the accreditation requirements, the Head of the REA instructs it to eliminate the shortcomings identified and may also instruct it to carry out a self-evaluation. If shortcomings are not eliminated within the specified timeframe, the Head of the REA may withdraw accreditation. Where this is the case, the institution or entity may re-apply for accreditation at least a year after the date of the withdrawal.