Post-primary vocational education in Poland combines general education subjects with vocational subjects and practical placements or internships. Vocational school graduates acquire vocational qualifications and – after passing the maturity exam – gain access to higher education. 

Vocational classes/activities at Stage III of education include: 

• theoretical vocational subjects (for example, foundations of mechanics, electronics, accounting, depending on the occupation); 

• practical vocational subjects; 

• 4-week practical placements/internships (which usually take place in Grade III or IV in a technical secondary school). 

Curriculum, subjects, number of hours

The outline timetables for 5-year technical secondary schools as well as stage I and stage II sectoral vocational schools are laid down in the Regulation of the Minister of Education of 20 May 2024 on the outline timetables for public schools, as subsequently amended (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji z dnia 20 maja 2024 r. w sprawie ramowych planów nauczania dla publicznych szkół, z późn. zm.).

Outline timetable for 5-year technical secondary schools (education stage III)

The weekly number of teaching/class hours for compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor in a 5-year technical secondary school (Stage III of education) is as follows: 

¹⁾ The head of a technical secondary school sets the weekly number of hours for individual compulsory classes, with the number of hours allocated to compulsory classes as specified for Grade V. 

²⁾ Additional hours for a modern foreign language which is the second language of tuition in a bilingual technical secondary school or a bilingual class of a technical secondary school.

³⁾ The subject is taught in Grade V, not longer than until the end of January, with the number of hours allocated to this subject as specified for this grade.

⁴⁾ The head of a technical secondary school sets the number of hours for grades in which the subject will be taught, while keeping the weekly number of hours allocated to the subjects taught at the basic level and lessons with the class tutor in individual grades. The number of hours allocated to the subject in the 5-year education cycle is 4. The subject can be taught in Grades I, II, III or IV.

⁵⁾  The school head distributes the number of hours allocated to compulsory vocational education. However, the number of hours allocated to practical vocational training may not be lower than 50% of the total number of hours for vocational education. 

Other classes/educational activities 

Technical secondary schools also offer subjects which may be chosen as electives by pupils/parents, and/or other classes which aim, for example, to maintain the national or ethnic identity of pupils. In particular, these include:

• Religion or Ethics: the number of hours per week is set in accordance with Article 12, section 2 of the School Education Act of 7 September 1991, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 7 września 1991 r. o systemie oświaty, z późn. zm.);

• Health Education: the number of hours is set in the regulations based on Article 4, section 3 of the Act of 7 January 1993 on Family Planning, Human Embryo Protection and Conditions of Permissibility of Abortion, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 7 stycznia 1993 r. o planowaniu rodziny, ochronie płodu rodziny i warunkach dopuszczalności przerywania ciąży (z późn. zm.));

• National minority language, Ethnic Minority Language, Regional Language and Minority History and Culture: the number of hours is set in the regulations based on Article 13, section 3 of the School Education Act;

• Geography of the state with which a national minority identifies itself: the number of hours is set in the regulations based on Article 13, section 3 of the School Education Act; classes are conducted in case the school administering body allocates hours to such classes.

The outline timetable also includes sports classes/activities in sports classes and schools and sports championship classes and schools, and counselling and guidance (so-called psychological and educational support) classes.

Where the school administering body has allocated hours, a school offers additional classes and sign language classes. 

Furthermore, post-primary schools in Poland conduct career guidance classes in accordance with the regulations based on Article 26a, section 3 of 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.). Classes aim to help pupils identify their interests and aptitudes and make informed educational and career choices, including the choice of the next education stage and occupation. The minimum number of hours for such classes is 10 in the 5-year education cycle. 

The minimum weekly number of teaching/class hours for rehabilitation classes in each school year for pupils with disabilities is: 

• 8 hours per class in a special class; 

• 2 hours per pupil in a mainstream or integration class. 

A technical secondary school combines general education with vocational education. Like those who have finished a general secondary school, technical secondary school graduates can take the maturity exam. They are required to take one exam in a chosen subject at the advanced level. However, the requirement to take the written part of the maturity exam in one additional subject does not apply to a person who has: 

• a diploma conferring vocational qualifications in an occupation for which education is provided at the level of Technician; 

• a vocational diploma in an occupation for which education is provided at the level of Technician; 

• certificates conferring all qualifications identified within a given occupation for which education is provided at the level of Technician; 

• certificates conferring qualifications for an occupation and vocational qualification certificates for all qualifications identified within a given occupation for which education is provided at the level of Technician, except for those who have finished a bilingual school or class. 

Subjects taught at the advanced level (referred to as ‘extended subjects’) in a technical secondary school are general education subjects (for example, Mathematics, Foreign Language) which are allocated a higher number of hours. Whether they are available depends on the class specialisation and the programme offered in a given school, which focuses primarily on vocational subjects. Thus, technical secondary schools offer a narrower range of ‘extended subjects’ than general secondary schools (for example, 2 such subjects). Such subjects can also be taught to pupils from different schools (for example, in so-called inter-school groups) with the consent of the body administering schools. 

Outline timetable for stage I sectoral vocational schools

In stage I sectoral vocational schools (post-primary schools: Stage III of education), the weekly number of teaching/class hours during the entire 3-year education cycle (the total number of hours is not specified) is as follows:

¹⁾ Not applicable to pupils with a moderate or severe intellectual disability and pupils with multiple disabilities including a moderate or severe intellectual disability.

²⁾ The head of a stage I sectoral vocational school selects two subjects from among Geography, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, which are taught in Grades I to III, with 1 hour per week in each grade. 

³⁾ The head of a stage I sectoral vocational school distributes the hours allocated to compulsory vocational training. However, the number of hours allocated to practical training may not be lower than 60% of the total number of hours for vocational training. For pupils who are juvenile workers, the head distributes the hours in consultation with employers, while considering the provisions of the Act of 26 June 1974, The Labour Code (ustawa z dnia 26 czerwca 1974 r., Kodeks Pracy). However, the number of hours for practical training may not be lower than 60% of the total number of hours for vocational training.

⁴⁾ The weekly number of hours for compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor for pupils in individual grades is not applicable to pupils who are juvenile workers. However, the timetable for juvenile workers should include the total number of hours allocated to individual compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor in the 3-year education cycle. 

Additionally, pupils in stage I sectoral vocational schools are required to take career guidance classes: at least 10 hours during the 3-year education cycle. Stage I sectoral vocational schools also offer subjects/classes in accordance with other regulations; these include, for example, Religion or Ethics; Health Education; and classes for pupils from national or ethnic minorities.

The minimum weekly number of teaching/class hours for rehabilitation classes in each school year for pupils with disabilities is: 

• 10 hours per class in a special class; 

• 2 hours per pupil in a mainstream or integration class. 

Outline timetable for stage II sectoral vocational schools

The weekly number of teaching/class hours during the entire 2-year education cycle in stage II sectoral vocational schools (post-primary schools: Stage III of education) is as follows:

1. The minimum weekly number of class/teaching hours for rehabilitation classes in each school year for learners with a disability is:

• 8 hours per class in a special class;

• 2 hours per learner in a mainstream or integration class.

2. The duration of practical placements is 4 weeks (140 hours). Learners undertake a placement in the grade chosen by the school head. The school head may spread a practical placement over a period of time.  

¹⁾ Vocational training takes place as part of vocational qualification courses. The national core curriculum for vocational education (for a given occupation) sets its duration, taking into consideration regulations based on Article 117, section 5 of the Law on School Education. The school head distributes the hours for compulsory vocational training. However, the number of hours allocated to practical vocational training may not be lower than 50% of the total number of hours for vocational training.

²⁾ The number of hours does not include hours for vocational training.

The minimum weekly number of teaching/class hours for rehabilitation classes in each school year for pupils with disabilities is: 

• 8 hours per class in a special class; 

• 2 hours per pupil in a mainstream or integration class. 

Teaching methods and materials

Subject teachers are free to choose teaching methods and approaches, although this is partly determined by the number of pupils per class and teaching and learning facilities and resources available in the school (for example, the number of computers or other teaching aids). Pupils should be divided into smaller groups for some classes (for example, Foreign language, Technology or Computer Science).

The core curriculum forms the foundation of the education process. It describes the aims and content of teaching (detailed requirements) and conditions and methods for delivering curricular content. Based on the core curriculum, schools develop curricula which describe how they implement educational tasks and the content set out in the core curriculum for a given subject. 

The curriculum can be:

• developed by the teacher individually or jointly with other teachers;

• chosen by the teacher from among the set of curricula developed by other author(s), for example, from among those available on the market;

• developed by other author(s) and modified by the teacher.

The curriculum proposed by the teacher should be adapted to the needs and abilities of the pupils. The head of a school approves general education curricula and curricula for vocational subjects at the request of the teacher or the team of teachers concerned and after consultation with the school's teaching council.

Teachers may choose a textbook from among the textbooks approved for the use at school. The head publishes a list of textbooks to be used in a given school year. The legislation also allows teachers to implement curricula using educational resources/materials which are not considered textbooks in legal or practical terms. Costs of textbooks are, in general, covered by pupils and their parents (legal guardians).

Schools are required to install special safety software on computers used for teaching and learning to block access to harmful content in the Internet. The software should protect pupils, in particular, against pornography, brutal and aggressive content, content breaking social norms and promoting hatred and discrimination.