The responsibility for coordination of educational policy rests with the minister in charge of school education. Some ministers can administer public schools and other educational institutions (for further details, see the section at the end of the chapter on administration and governance at national level).

As a result of the state administration reform and the education reform, only the national educational policy is developed and implemented centrally, whereas the management of education and the administration of schools, nursery schools and other educational institutions are decentralised. The responsibility for the administration of nursery schools (przedszkole) and primary schools (szkoła podstawowa) has been delegated to the communes (gmina). The administration of post-primary schools, art schools and special schools has been delegated to districts (powiat) as their statutory responsibility. The self-governing provinces (województwo) administer only schools operating at regional and supra-regional levels. The responsibility for pedagogical supervision rests with the Heads of the Regional Education Authorities (kurator oświaty) in 16 provinces.

Education administration at national level

School education

The responsibility for the administration of the school education system rests with the minister in charge of school education (Minister of National Education as since 1 January 2024 the Ministry of Education and Science has been divided into the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education) and his / her deputy ministers. The Director General is responsible for efficient functioning of the ministry as the institution supporting the minister.

The structure of the Ministry of National Education comprises the Minister's Office, the Office of the Director General, and 11 departments, each with divisions, which are responsible for specific aspects of the national education policy. Currently, the main organisational units of the Ministry include:

1. Budget and Finance Department
2. Department for Structural Funds
3. Inspection and Audit Department
4. Legal Department
5. International Cooperation Department
6. Care and Prevention Department
7. Inclusive Education Department
8. Communictation Department
9. General Education and Digital Transformation Department
10. Department for Strategy, Qualifications and Vocational Education and Training
11. Department for Cooperation with Local Government

Responsibilities and powers of the minister in charge of school education 

The minister co-ordinates and implements the national education policy, and co-operates in this respect with regional authorities / province governors (wojewoda) and other organisational units responsible for the school education system.

The minister lays down, by regulation, arrangements, in particular, in the following areas:

• Contents of the general and vocational education and textbooks: 

  • core curricula for preschool education, general education and vocational education, and outline timetables;

  • classification of occupations for vocational education;

  • arrangements for schools and educational institutions to undertake activities maintaining national, ethnical, language and religious identity of pupils;

  • arrangements for teaching religion in schools;

  • rules for approving textbooks for use at schools:

  • procedures for providing local authorities with information required to determine the level of subsidy for the purchase of textbooks by heads of primary schools.

• Pupil assessment: 

  • detailed rules for assessing and promoting pupils in public schools;

  • detailed arrangements for conducting the eighth-grader examination, the maturity examination and vocational exams;

  • arrangements for conducting extramural examinations;

  • arrangements for issuing certificates, diplomas and other school documents and templates for them;

  • establishment of regional examination boards and specification of their territorial jurisdiction.

• Admission to public schools and other educational institutions:

  • composition and tasks of an admissions board, rules and dates of the admission process;

  • rules for converting criteria into points for admission to public schools if the number of candidates exceeds the number of places available in such schools;

  • procedure of transferring pupils from one type of public school to another.

• Governance and organisation of institutions within the school education system:

  • requirements for measures that schools and other educational institutions should take to create optimal conditions for education and care activities and other statutory activities, provide conditions for the development of each pupil, and improve quality of the school’s or institution’s activities and its organisational development;

  • arrangements for the competition for the position of the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (kurator oświaty);

  • requirements for persons holding the position of school head and other management positions, and arrangements for the competition for the position of school head;

  • types of schools and institutions where the teachers’ council, the parents’ council and/or the pupils’ self-government are not established;

  • organisational arrangements for practical vocational training;

  • framework statutes for public schools and other public educational institutions;

  • methods for keeping records relating to the teaching process and educational activities;

  • rules and conditions for innovation and experimental activities;

  • organisational arrangements for the school year;

  • organisational arrangements and procedures for contests and competitions in specific school subjects;

  • general safety and hygiene regulations for schools and institutions.

• Pedagogical supervision:

  • arrangements for pedagogical supervision, including its forms;

  • a list of positions and qualifications required to exercise pedagogical supervision.

• Pre-school education:

  • alternative preschool education settings;

  • procedures for granting subsidies for preschool education and related grant accounting methods.

• Continuing education:

  • types of public continuing education institutions and their tasks;

  • arrangements for adult education and training;

  • arrangements for the provision of vocational qualification courses;

  • methods for the validation of learning outcomes achieved in non-school settings;

  • conditions for granting and withdrawing accreditation for institutions providing adult education and training in non-school settings.

• Initial and in-service teacher training:

  • conditions and procedures for granting and withdrawing accreditation for non-public in-service teacher training institutions;

  • conditions and procedures for the establishment, restructuring and liquidation of in-service teacher training institutions, and organisational and operational arrangements for such institutions.

• Additional classes and activities, care, counselling and guidance for pupils with special educational needs, and measures to address such needs:

  • organisational arrangements for public education-and-care centres for pupils with disabilities and maladjusted youth;

  • arrangements for counselling and guidance in schools and other educational institutions, and organisational arrangements for public counselling and guidance centres;

  • detailed arrangements for children and young people to follow individualised schooling and individualised study programmes and related organisational arrangements;

  • detailed arrangements for the education and care for children and young people with special educational needs;

  • arrangements for providing early support for children development;

  • timeframes for transferring to the communes grants for financial support for pupils and methods for calculating their level;

  • conditions for the organisation of leisure activities for children and young people;

  • rules and conditions for the organisation of tourist and sightseeing activities undertaken by schools and other educational institutions;

  • detailed arrangements for sport classes and schools and sports championship schools.

• Matters related to education abroad and education for non-nationals:

  • conditions and procedures for the admission of non-nationals and Polish nationals who completed previous education stages in other education systems to public nursery schools, schools, teacher training institutions and to vocational qualification courses;

  • arrangements for additional Polish language classes, remedial classes in subjects covered by the curriculum, and classes in the language and culture of the country of origin;

  • levels of grants for beneficiaries who are not Polish nationals;

  • rules for the provision of education to Polish nationals’ children temporarily staying abroad;

  • arrangements supporting the teaching of Polish history, geography, culture and the Polish language and other school subjects with Polish as a language of instruction to the Polish diaspora in schools abroad and in other forms of education provided by civic organisations abroad;

  • arrangements for the recognition (nostrification) of school and maturity certificates awarded abroad;

  • conditions for sending pupils abroad for educational purposes and teachers for in-service training purposes.

The minister responsible for school education (Minister of National Education) establishes and administers so-called Polish schools (schools at diplomatic missions, consulates and military missions of the Republic of Poland) and public in-service teacher training institutions operating at national level. The minister can also establish and administer public experimental schools and public continuing education institutions operating at national level, as well as schools and school clusters in Poland and at diplomatic missions, consulates and military missions of the Republic of Poland which: (a) provide education to children of Polish nationals temporarily living abroad, based on the core curriculum for general education as established by Polish legislation; or (b) provide to pupils attending schools within the education system of other countries supplementary education programmes at the primary and secondary school level, based on the curriculum framework for supplementary education and timetables established for Polish schools.

The minister responsible for culture and protection of national heritage (Minister of Culture and National Heritage) establishes and administers public art schools and other institutions for pupils of art schools, as well as institutions for in-service training of art-school teachers. In consultation with the minister responsible for school education, the Minister issues regulations concerning the organisation of art education and the functioning of art schools.

The minister responsible for agriculture (Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development) may establish and administer public schools of agriculture and agricultural institutions operating at regional and supra-regional levels, and establish and administer public in-service teacher training institutions for teachers of vocational subjects taught in schools of agriculture.

The minister responsible for environmental protection (Minister of Climate and Environment) may establish and administer public forestry schools.

The minister responsible for maritime economy (Minister of Infrastructure) may establish and administer public maritime schools.

The minister responsible for inland waterway transport (Minister of Infrastructure) may establish and administer public schools of inland waterway transport.

The minister responsible for fishery (Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development) may establish and administer public fishery schools.

The minister responsible for health (Minister of Health) may establish and administer a public national-level in-service teacher training institution for teachers of vocational subjects taught as part of the training for the occupations that fall within the remit of the minister according to the Classification of Occupations for Sectoral Vocational Education.

The Minister of Justice may establish and administer public schools and institutions within district education centres, youth detention centres and hostels for underage young people and public schools and institutions in penitentiary facilities and custody suites. Schools and institutions in penitentiary facilities and custody suites operate as part of their structures. 

The legislation also reserves some school-administering powers for ministers who are not listed above. Ministers referred to in the regulations on the Classification of Occupations for Sectoral Vocational Education may establish and administer public schools providing vocational education, and continuing education centres and vocational training centres which provide education and training only for the occupations corresponding to the remit of the minister concerned.

The minister in charge of internal affairs (Minister of Interior) supervises the State Fire Service and thus is the only body that can establish and administer schools providing programmes for the occupation of Fire Service Technician (currently, there are 3 schools of this type).

The Minister of National Defence has supervisory powers regarding so-called military training classes in mainstream schools administered by various bodies, mainly local government units. The minister can also establish and administer public nursery schools, schools and other public educational institutions (currently, 2 nursery schools at military units, and 2 general secondary schools providing programmes in areas relevant to the Polish Army: aviation and computer science.

Higher education

Matters relating to the development of science, the training of students and doctoral students, and the functioning of higher education institutions (HEIs) fall within the remit of the minister responsible for higher education (since 1 January 2024 the Minister of Science and Higher Education).

Support for the Minister is provided, in particular, by the following units:

• Strategic Analysis and Promotion of Science Department 
• Organisation of HEIs, Teaching and Student Matters Department
• Innovation and Development Department
• Science Department
• Legal Department
• Department for Research and Investment Programmes
• International Cooperation Departrment. 

Additionally, specific types of HEIs are supervised by the following ministers:

• military HEIs: the minister responsible for national defence;
• government service HEIs: the minister responsible for internal affairs;
• HEIs of art studies: the minister responsible for culture and protection of cultural heritage;
• medical HEIs: the minister responsible for health;
• maritime HEIs: the minister responsible for maritime economy.

Responsibilities and powers of the minister in charge of higher education

The minister responsible for higher education supervises the activities of HEIs in respect of their compliance with the law, their statutes and the permit granted for the establishment of a non-public HEI, and proper use of public funds. The minister may request information and clarification from the governing bodies of an HEI and the founder of a non-public HEI, and may conduct inspections of HEIs.

By regulation, the minister responsible for higher education:

1. establishes public non-university HEIs or changes their names;
2. incorporates a public non-university HEI or research institute into a public higher education institution;
3. closes non-university HEIs;
4. restricts or suspends, on a temporary basis, activities of HEIs in the entire territory of the country or its parts, taking into consideration emerging threats (in extraordinary circumstances that may pose a threat to the lives or health of academic community members);

and lays down:

5. arrangements to ensure safety and hygiene for work and education in HEIs;
6. standards for the initial training of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, biomedical analysts, physiotherapists, paramedics, veterinary surgeons, architects and teachers;
7. curriculum design requirements for degree programmes;
8. the fields of study in which HEIs may provide only long-cycle programmes (as opposed to first-cycle programmes followed by second-cycle programmes);
9. the range of information to be included in an application for a permit to establish a first-, second- or long-cycle programme, supporting documents and the procedure for the submission of applications;
10. requirements for distance-learning classes, and the maximum number of ECTS credits to be earned by students for such classes;
11. the procedure for keeping study records, making duplicates and copies of such documents, and making revisions and changes in personal data in such documents;
12. the template for student identity cards, and the procedure for issuing and validating such identity cards;
13. elements to be included in a higher education diploma and a joint diploma;
14. the template for Diploma Supplements;
15. degrees (professional titles) equivalent to the degrees of Bachelor (licencjat and inżynier) and Master (magister and magister inżynier);
16. the level of, and payment procedure for, the fees for: the validation of documents to be used in legal transactions abroad; the issue of student academic transcripts, identity cards and duplicates of such documents; the issue of copies of higher education diplomas and Diploma Supplements and copies of higher education diplomas and Diploma Supplements in foreign languages;
17. the level of the fee for student admission;
18. the procedure for calculating the monthly per capita income in the family which entitles students to be granted a student credit;  
19. the procedure for the submission of applications for a student credit;
20. the template for academic staff identity cards, and the procedure for the validation of such identity cards, considering the need to confirm the employment status of staff;
21. the scope of, and the procedure for, conducting a health assessment to establish whether an academic teacher should refrain from work due to his / her health condition, and to prescribe medical treatment and the duration of such a treatment;
22. the salary level for the position of Professor, taking into consideration the adequacy of the salary for the qualifications required to hold the position;
23. elements to be included in a certificate of completion of a non-degree postgraduate programme, a certificate of a chartered specialist and a certificate of a chartered specialist-technologist (the latter awarded upon completion of specialist programmes);
24. elements to be included in doctoral and post-doctoral diplomas, and the procedure for issuing duplicates and copies of such diplomas;
25. criteria for programme evaluations and overall evaluations (conducted in HEIs by the Polish Accreditation Committee), taking into consideration international quality assurance standards and the need to provide adequate evaluation models;
26. detailed criteria for the quality evaluation of training provided in doctoral schools and the evaluation procedure, taking into consideration the specificity of training in doctoral schools;
27. the types of scientific and artistic achievements which are covered by an evaluation of research activity; definitions of a scientific monograph and scientific article; detailed criteria and procedure for the evaluation of achievements; the method for assigning a research category / grade; and the procedure for evaluation of research activity – taking into consideration the specificity of research activities in individual areas, and, in particular, in social sciences, humanities and theological sciences;
28. the method for drawing up lists of scientific publications and journals;
29. detailed arrangements for mediation, enquiry and disciplinary proceedings in disciplinary liability cases involving academic staff; procedure for administering and erasing disciplinary penalties – taking into consideration the need to ensure reliability, objectivity, transparency and efficiency of such proceedings;
30. detailed arrangements for enquiry and disciplinary proceedings involving students; procedure for administering and erasing disciplinary penalties - taking into consideration the need to ensure reliability, objectivity, transparency and efficiency of such proceedings;
31. detailed arrangements for the recognition of qualifications awarded in other countries;
32. cost indices for full-time degree programmes in individual disciplines, and for research activity in individual disciplines.

The minister supervises federations of HEIs. This includes establishing, dissolving, changing the composition and the name of a federation of HEIs.

Other bodies in higher education

The Scientific Excellence Council (SEC) (Rada Doskonałości Naukowej) (the website available in Polish only) aims to foster the development of research staff in line with the highest quality standards of research activity required to obtain doctoral and post-doctoral degrees (doktor and doktor habilitowany respectively) in science and fine arts and the title of professor (profesor). With regard to its proceedings, SEC performs the function of a government administration body. To become its member, candidates should have an impeccable reputation, at least a post-doctoral degree and significant research achievements. SEC is composed of 3 representatives of each scientific and artistic discipline. As part of its responsibilities, SEC:

1. conducts proceedings as part of the process for the award of post-doctoral degrees;
2. considers appeals against decisions refusing to award a doctoral degree and complaints against decisions to refuse admission to the defence of a doctoral thesis;
3. considers appeals against decisions refusing to award a post-doctoral degree;
4. reviews decisions awarding equivalent qualifications;
5. conducts proceedings as part of the process for the award of the title of professor;
6. supervises entities which conduct proceedings leading to the award of doctoral and post-doctoral degrees with regard to their compliance with the legislation;

7. gives opinions on other matters raised by the minister responsible for higher education and science;

8. puts forward candidates for, and appoints, reviewers: the number of candidates is at least three times higher than the number of reviewers to be appointed by SEC for a given task; subsequently, reviewers are selected by drawing lots.

The General Council for Science and Higher Education (Rada Główna Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego) (the website available in Polish only) is an elective representative body of the science and higher education community. It cooperates with the Minister of Education and Science and other public authorities in developing national policies for higher education, science and innovation. In particular, the Council:

1. gives opinions on its own initiative and submits proposals in all matters concerning higher education, research and culture, and may also raise such matters with the public authorities and HEIs, among other things, requesting clarification and information;
2. gives opinions on the matters presented by the minister(s) responsible for higher education and science, and other authorities and public administration bodies or on its own initiative;
3. gives opinions on draft legislation concerning higher education, development of science and innovation, and on international agreements concerning higher education and research concluded by Poland;
4. gives opinions on the section of the preliminary State budget that is managed by the minister responsible for higher education, and on the rules for the award of State-budget subsidies to HEIs;
5. gives opinions on activity plans and reports of the National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki) and the National Centre of Research and Development (Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju); (a) gives opinions on the funding of research infrastructure and on reports on the use of these funds, taking into account links between the Polish research infrastructure and the European infrastructure; (b) gives opinions on the national standards for initial training for the regulated professions;
6. submits to the minister responsible for higher education its proposals for model descriptions of learning outcomes for individual fields of study, assigned to relevant academic areas, taking into account the level and profile of programmes.

The Polish Accreditation Committee (PAC) (Polska Komisja Akredytacyjna, PKA) is an institution working for the improvement of the quality of education. Its activities cover all HEIs operating on the basis of the Law on Higher Education and Science (ustawa – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce).

PAC presents to the minister:

• opinions on the entry of non-public HEIs on the register;

• opinions on other matters raised by the minister responsible for higher education;

• opinions on compliance of HEIs with the requirements for the provision of degree programmes;

• opinions on the level and profile of degree programmes and their links with the strategies of HEIs;

and

• resolutions / decisions on outcomes of programme evaluations;

• resolutions / decisions on outcomes of complex evaluations.

PAC cooperates with national and international organisations involved in the assessment of the quality of education and accreditation. It takes decisions to conduct or not to conduct complex evaluations, taking into consideration outcomes of programme evaluations. For further details about PAC, see the chapter ‘Quality assurance’.

University-type HEIs may establish the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (Konferencja Rektorów Akademickich Szkół Polskich). Non-university HEIs may establish the Conference of Rectors of Higher Vocational Education Institutions in Poland (Konferencja Rektorów Zawodowych Szkół Polskich), and the Conference of Rectors of Public Higher Vocational Education Institutions (Konferencja Rektorów Publicznych Uczelni Zawodowych) for public non-university HEIs (the websites of the two Conferences available in Polish only). The body supervising the Conferences is the minister responsible for higher education and science. There are also regional and sectoral conferences of rectors. 

The National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej, NAWA) is responsible for matters related to the mobility of students, doctoral students and higher education staff. The Agency has the following responsibilities:

• establish a system of programmes supporting outward and inward mobility of students, including doctoral students, and academic staff;

• implement programmes supporting the return of Polish researchers to the country;

• develop a financial mechanism to support mobility (for example, scholarships, funding to cover or contribute towards the costs of education or subsistence);

• launch projects to support HEIs in improving the quality of programmes offered;

• undertake broadly understood information and promotion activities concerning Polish higher education;

• promote the learning and knowledge of the Polish language abroad.

Representative bodies of the higher education and science community also include the Students’ Parliament of the Republic of Poland (Parliament Studentów Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) and the National Representation of Doctoral Students (Krajowa Reprezentacja Doktorantów). 

In devising national science policies, the minister is supported by the Science Policy Committee (Komitet Polityki Naukowej) (the website in Polish only). It conducts evaluations and prepares evaluation reports, position papers, opinions and other papers and reports for the ministry in charge of higher education and science. On its own initiative, it can also propose arrangements for the higher education and science system and legislative acts concerning national research policies.

Education administration at regional level

The regional level in Poland is the level of province or voivodship (województwo). There are currently 16 provinces / voivodships.

Heads of the regional education authorities: pedagogical supervision

The Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REA) (kurator oświaty) exercises pedagogical supervision over school education institutions at regional level. The Head of the REA is appointed and dismissed by the minister responsible for school education (Minister of National Education) at the request of the province governor (wojewoda) and, thus, is part of the central government structure. The Head of the REA is not directly subordinated to the Minister. However, the Minister has influence on the outcome of a competition for the position of Head of the REA as he/she appoints three members of the competition board, and may also dismiss the Head of the REA on his/her own initiative. Moreover, the Minister supervises Heads of the REAs and coordinates their work in various ways (for example, by organising meetings, training courses and conferences, and administering the online pedagogical supervision platform). 

Pursuant to the School Education Act (ustawa o systemie oświaty), the Head of the REA, acting on behalf of the province governor, performs tasks and exercises powers within a given province, as laid down in the Act and separate regulations. In particular, the Head of the REA:

1. exercises pedagogical supervision over public and non-public schools and educational institutions;
2. implements the national educational policy, and cooperates with local government bodies in the development and implementation of local and regional educational policies consistent with the national policy;
3. gives opinions on so-called organisational sheets of public schools and educational institutions, except those administered by ministers, with regard to their compliance with legislation, which are submitted by the bodies administering schools and institutions before their approval;
4. gives opinions on work plans of public in-service teacher training institutions, except those administered by the ministers responsible for school education, culture and protection of national heritage, agriculture, and health;
5. gives opinions on networks of public schools administered by local government units (communes and districts) with regard to their compliance with the statutory requirements;
6. gives opinions on the liquidation of public schools;
7. prepares programmes for the use of funds for in-service teacher training from the regional (province governor’s) budget;
8. organises contests and competitions for pupils and other forms of competition for pupils and presentation of their achievements, in a given region;
9. analyses teachers’ in-service training needs and initiates and coordinates teacher training activities;
10. supports activities related to the conduct of tests and exams in schools;
11. cooperates with local government bodies in the development of facilities at schools and educational institutions;
12. cooperates with the relevant bodies, various organisations and institutions in matters related to the development of children and young people;
13. coordinates, supports and supervises the organisation of leisure activities for children and young people during summer and winter holidays in a given region.

At the request of the Head of the REA, the province governor can establish REA branches for individual areas of the region. The powers of the head of a branch are defined by the Head of the REA.

Local government bodies at regional level

General powers and responsibilities of local government units (LGUs), including those at regional level (as there are both local government and central government bodies at this level), are discussed in greater detail in the next chapter. It should be emphasised, however, that given the fairly extensive organisational autonomy of schools and other educational institutions, the powers of LGUs (communes and districts) as so-called school/institution administering bodies include supervision over organisational units of the school education system with regard to financial and administrative aspects (proper school management). They also monitor the use of public funds by non-public schools.

LGUs at regional (province) level do not perform typical school-education tasks. However, they are responsible for administering some educational institutions that have a supporting role:

• in-service teacher training institutions,

• educational resources centres, and

• schools and educational institutions operating at regional and supra-regional levels.