Academic guidance

Counselling and guidance, referred to in the legislation as psychological and educational support, provided to pupils in nursery schools, schools and other educational institutions involves:

• assessing pupils’ individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities, and environmental factors which have impact on their functioning in a nursery school, school or educational institution; and

• addressing the needs identified.

Psychological and educational support aims to help pupils fulfil their developmental potential and create conditions for their active and full participation in the life of their (nursery) school or another educational institution and in their social environment.

As part of their main responsibilities, teachers, class or group tutors and specialists in (nursery) schools and other educational institutions:

• assess pupils’ individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities;

• identify pupils’ strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes or talents; 

• identify reasons behind school failure or difficulties in pupils’ functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for them to function and participate in the life of their (nursery) school or educational institution;

• carry out activities which help pupils develop their competences and potential to enhance the effectiveness of their learning process and improve their functioning;

• collaborate with a counselling and guidance centre in diagnostic and post-diagnostic processes, in particular, regarding:

  • performance / functional behaviour assessment; 

  • barriers and constrains in the environment which make it difficult for pupils to function and participate in the life of their (nursery) school or institution;

  • outcomes of activities taken to improve pupils’ functioning and further activities to be planned.

Teachers, class or group tutors and specialists in (nursery) schools and other educational institutions undertake, in particular, the following activities:

• in nursery schools: pedagogical observation aimed at early identification of developmental disharmonies and early intervention; and for children taking one-year preschool preparatory classes: pedagogical observation which ends with an analysis and assessment of children’s readiness for school (pre-school diagnosis);

• in schools: pedagogical observation during ongoing work with pupils, which aims to identify:

  • learning difficulties and, for pupils in Grades I to III of the primary school, competence deficits, language disorders, and the risk of specific learning difficulties;

  • potential and interests;

  • special aptitudes or talents;

  • support for pupils in education and career planning during ongoing work with them.

Where it is found that a child needs educational support, the nursery school, alternative preschool education setting, school or another educational institution initiates activities to meet these needs. This is an area where an institution provides counselling and guidance / psychological and educational support.

Counselling and guidance sessions offered to children and young people are one of the various forms of psychological and educational support.

Psychological and educational support is also offered to pupils’ parents and teachers in the form of counselling or guidance sessions, workshops and training sessions.

Support offered to parents and teachers aims to:

• assist them in addressing pupils’ educational and learning problems;

• develop their own educational skills to increase the effectiveness of psychological and educational support provided to pupils.

Counselling sessions, workshops and training sessions are conducted by teachers, class / group tutors and specialists.

Specialists providing psychological and educational support in (nursery) schools and other educational institutions include in particular:

• psychologists,

• pedagogues (education specialists), including special education teachers,

• speech therapists,

• careers advisers, and

• educational therapists.

As part of their responsibilities, specialists working in (nursery) schools and other educational institutions:

• conduct diagnostic examinations and assessments of children and young people;

• provide psychological and educational support in forms suited to the needs identified, in cooperation with teachers and other specialists;

• carry out problem-prevention and information activities;

• assist parents and teachers in both assessing children’s needs and supporting their development.

As part of their responsibilities, special education teachers working in mainstream and integration nursery schools and schools: 

• collaborate with teachers, other specialists and parents and pupils in order to: 

  • recommend to the head of the nursery school or school measures to ensure active and full participation of pupils in the life of the nursery school or school  and accessibility for pupils with disabilities (as provided for in the Act of 19 July 2019 on the Access for People with Special Needs);

  • conduct diagnostic assessments and activities aimed at identifying individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities of pupils, their strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes, and reasons behind their school failure or difficulties in their functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for pupils to function and participate in the life of the nursery school or school;

  • address educational problems of pupils; 

  • define conditions and choose specialist equipment and educational resources necessary for learning, including ICT-based equipment and resources; 

• collaborate with the team of teachers in the development and implementation of the pupil’s individualised education-and-therapy programme (this applies to pupils who have a statement of special educational needs (SEN statement)); 

• support teachers, group tutors and other specialists in: 

  • identifying reasons behind pupils’ school failure or difficulties in their functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for them to function and participate in the life of a nursery school or school; 

  • providing psychological and educational support in direct work with the pupil; 

  • adapting working methods to the individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities of the pupil; 

  • selecting methods and forms of learning and educational resources which are suitable to pupils’ needs. 

• provide psychological and educational support to pupils, their parents and teachers; 

• collaborate, depending on the needs, with other entities (for example, counselling and guidance centres, in-service teacher training institutions, other nursery schools, schools or other educational institutions, non-governmental organisations, a teaching assistant, a social worker, a family assistant); 

• submit to the teaching council of the nursery school, school or another educational institution proposals regarding in-service training / professional development of its teachers for the afore-mentioned tasks. 

(Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 9 August 2017 on the rules for the provision and organisation of psychological and educational support in public nursery schools, schools and institutions (as subsequently amended) / Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 9 sierpnia 2017 r. w sprawie zasad organizacji i udzielania pomocy psychologiczno-pedagogicznej w publicznych przedszkolach, szkołach i placówkach)

If there is no improvement in the pupil’s functioning / performance despite the psychological and educational support provided, the head of a given (nursery) school (or another educational institution), with the parents’ or adult learner’s consent, can submit a request to a counselling and guidance centre to conduct an assessment and recommend methods to address the problems identified.

Counselling and guidance centres

Counselling and guidance centres, including specialist centres, are specialised institutions in the school education system which provide psychological and educational support and assist (nursery) schools and other educational institutions in this area.

Counselling and guidance centres can be:

• public or

• non-public.  

Specialist centres focus on selected and specific problems, in line with the needs of the local community.

In the school year 2023/2024, there were 1,324 counselling and guidance centres. 

The administration of public counselling and guidance centres is a school education task of districts (powiat; the local government level above communes).

A public counselling and guidance centre provides fee-free psychological and educational support at the request of the pupil’s parents or the adult learner. A pupil or learner can also be admitted to a centre at the request of the head of the nursery school or school (or another institution), with the consent of the pupil’s parents or the adult learner. 

The administering body of a centre determines its catchment area.

Counselling and guidance centres offer services to:

• children from birth,

• young people,

• parents,

• teachers,

• nursery schools, schools and other educational institutions.

Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 1 February 2013 on the detailed operational arrangements for public counselling and guidance centres, including public specialist centres (as subsequently amended) / Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 1 lutego 2013 r. w sprawie szczegółowych zasad działania publicznych poradni psychologiczno-pedagogicznych, w tym publicznych poradni specjalistycznych).

The tasks of a public counselling and guidance centre:

• conduct assessments for children and young people;

• provide direct support to pupils and their parents;

• carry out problem-prevention activities and tasks supporting the educational function of (nursery) schools and other educational institutions, including support for teachers in addressing problems related to education and care;

• provide support to (nursery) schools and other educational institutions.

Parents and pupils or learners seek support from a counselling and guidance centre on a voluntary basis.

Such centres conduct assessments, provide information on the results of such assessments or issue opinions and statements at the request of a parent or an adult learner. 

An assessment of the child’s needs helps to identify the lines of action to be taken as part of education and support for his / her development.

In particular, based on its assessment, a counselling and guidance can:

• issue an opinion on:

  1. the need to provide individualised early childhood development support; this is the only type of opinion that can be issued exclusively by an assessment committee in a public counselling and guidance centre;
  2. specific learning difficulties;
  3. deferred entry into compulsory education;
  4. earlier entry of the child into the primary school;
  5. a permission to be granted to the pupil to follow an individualised learning programme;
  6. the pupil’s participation in full-time or part-time compulsory education outside school settings;
  7. exemption of the pupil from learning a second foreign language;
  8. the inclusion of the pupil in a therapy class;
  9. an individualised learning path for the pupil;
  10. adjustments to curriculum-based educational requirements to the pupil’s individual educational needs;
  11. priority to be given to the pupil with health problems in the admission to a post-primary school;
  12. a permission to employ a juvenile for the purpose of training for a particular job or of vocational training;
  13. contraindications for the child / young person to perform work or carry out other paid activities;
  14. other matters relating to the education of children and young people (for example, for medical doctors or courts of justice);

• issue a statement of the need to provide:

• direct psychological and educational support provided by a centre to children or young people, parents or both children and parents;

• support provided to teachers and specialists working with a child or young person in his / her educational institution.

1. special education (a statement of special educational needs),
2. rehabilitation-and-education classes,
3. individualised one-year preschool preparatory classes,
4. individualised learning for children and young people;

An opinion is provided to the parents or the adult learner concerned and may be forwarded to the educational institution that the pupil / learner attends only at the request of the parents or the adult learner. 

Statements  are issued by assessment committees working in counselling and guidance centres, including public specialist centres.

Statements are issued at parents’ or an adult learner’s request. They may participate in a session of an assessment committee and present their position. Statements are issued to applicants only. Within 14 days, parents or learners can file a request for reconsideration with the head of the regional education authorities via the committee issuing the statement.

A statement may be cancelled or amended at parents’ request at any time.

(Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 7 September 2017 on statements and opinions issued by assessment committees at public counselling and guidance centres (as subsequently amended) / Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 7 września 2017 r. w sprawie orzeczeń i opinii wydawanych przez zespoły orzekające działające w publicznych poradniach psychologiczno-pedagogicznych)

Non-public counselling and guidance centres are authorised to issue opinions in cases which are not reserved by the law for public centres. 

To be authorised to issue an opinion on: 

• specific learning difficulties, or

• the child’s deferred entry into full-time compulsory education, or 

• earlier entry into the primary school, 

a non-public counselling and guidance centre should fulfil the following conditions: 

• it should be established under Art. 168 of the School Education Act (ustawa o systemie oświaty), and

• it should employ staff with qualifications required of staff in public counselling and guidance centres.

Direct support offered to children and young people and their parents by counselling and guidance centres includes, in particular:

• therapy provided to children, young people and their families;

• support offered to children and young people in need of psychological and educational support; 

• support in choosing an area of study and occupation and in planning education and career;

• support for parents in the assessment of children’s and young people’s developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities, and in addressing educational problems.

Centres carry out their problem-prevention tasks and assist (nursery) schools and other educational institutions in their educational and care-related functions, in particular, by supporting teachers, class / group tutors and specialists in: 

• the assessment of children’s and young people’s developmental and educational needs, including the risk of specific learning difficulties for pupils in grades I to III of the primary school;

• providing psychological and educational support;

• developing and implementing individualised education-and-therapy programmes and individualised rehabilitation classes;

• addressing teaching and education-related problems.

Centres also offer support to (nursery) schools and other educational institutions by:

• implementing measures to prevent addictions and other problems of children and young people;

• educating children, young people, parents and teachers on mental health protection;

• providing support in collaboration with in-service teacher training institutions.

At a written request of the head of a (nursery) school (or another educational institution), or of the parents of a child with disability, a public centre is also required to help identify conditions necessary for learning, specialist equipment and teaching resources, including ICT-based.

Additionally, the following special institutions are required to collaborate with mainstream schools in identifying and addressing educational problems of pupils in special education who attend these schools:

• special school-and-care centres: with regard to work with disabled pupils;

• youth education centres: with regard to work with socially maladjusted pupils;

• youth social therapy centres: with regard to work with pupils at risk of social maladjustment.

In 2023, pilot projects were completed, which aimed to develop a comprehensive approach that will regulate the additional role of specialist institutions (performed in addition to their current responsibilities in education and childcare) in supporting mainstream and integration nursery schools and schools to address diverse developmental and educational needs of pupils attending them. The 23 Specialist Centres Supporting Inclusive Education that have been established tested a model of advisory and training services for teachers and for specialist equipment rental services. 

Pilot projects were co-funded by the State budget and the European Social Fund. 

Pilot projects (information available in Polish only):

• Development of a model for the operation of Specialist Centres Supporting Inclusive Education (Opracowanie modelu funkcjonowania Specjalistycznych Centrów Wspierających Edukację Włączającą (SCWEW));

• Pilot implementation of the model of Specialist Centres Supporting Inclusive Education (Pilotażowe wdrożenie modelu Specjalistycznych Centrów Wspierających Edukację Włączającą (SCWEW)). 

Psychological counselling

Psychological counselling focuses on addressing learning and educational problems and on developing educational skills The school education system offers psychological counselling to children, young people, parents and teachers. It is provided in nursery schools, schools and institutions attended by children and young people, as well as in counselling and guidance centres. 

As part of their main responsibilities, psychologists in (nursery) schools and other educational institutions:

• conduct assessments and diagnostic examination for pupils, including the assessment of their individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities; this aims to identify their strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes or talents, and reasons behind school failure or difficulties in functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for the pupil to function and participate in the life of the (nursery) school or institution;

• assess educational situations in (nursery) schools or institutions to address problems which impose barriers and limit active and full participation of pupils in the life of the nursery school, school or institution;

• provide psychological and educational support in forms suited to the needs identified;

• implement measures related to the prevention of addictions and other problems that children and young people are faced with;

• minimise consequences of developmental disorders; prevent behavioural disorders; and initiate various forms of support in pupils’ school and out-of-school environments;

• initiate and conduct mediation and intervention in crisis situations;

• assist parents and teachers to identify and develop pupils’ individual abilities, predispositions and aptitudes or talents;

• support teachers, class / group tutors and other specialists in:

• the assessment of pupils’ individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities to identify: their strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes or talents; and reasons behind school failure or difficulties in functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for the pupil to function and participate in the life of the (nursery) or institution;

• providing psychological and educational support.

Psychological counselling is also provided in counselling and guidance centres.

Centres offer psychological counselling in various forms adapted to the needs of pupils:

• counselling and guidance sessions for children, young people, parents and teachers;

• individual or group therapy for children or young people;

• family therapy;

• support groups;

• mediation;

• emergency intervention;

• workshops;

• lectures and presentations;

• information and training.

Career guidance

Career guidance refers to planned and structured activities which aim to support pupils and other learners in making informed decisions about education and career. 

An outline timetable for each type of public school specifies the minimum number of hours allocated to career guidance (CG).

An outline timetable also comprises psychological and educational support classes, including education and career planning classes. The number of hours for such classes should be suitable for pupils’ needs, and take into consideration classes included in pupils’ individualised education-and-therapy programmes.

(Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 3 April 2019 on the outline timetables for public schools (as subsequently amended) / Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 3 kwietnia 2019 r. w sprawie ramowych planów nauczania dla publicznych szkół).

Career guidance is provided in the following forms: 

Career orientation visits aim to familiarise pupils with the working environment for selected occupations. They take place at employers’ organisation, schools providing vocational education or continuing education centres and vocational education and training centres. 

Schools develop a career guidance programme for each school year, which sets out: 

• topics of activities; 

• classes for which activities are intended; 

• implementation methods and forms of activities, including the involvement of parents in such activities (for example, meetings with parents), except in stage II sectoral vocational schools, post-secondary schools and schools for adults; 

• timeframes for the implementation of activities; 

• persons responsible for the implementation of each activity; 

• entities with which the school collaborates in the implementation of activities while considering the needs of pupils, other learners and parents, and local or regional career guidance activities: 

• employers,

• employers’ organisations,

• business self-government organisations, 

• other economic entities,

• professional associations or self-government organisations,

• continuing education institutions, 

• vocational education and training centres,

• schools providing vocational education,

• counselling and guidance centres,

• in-service teacher training institutions, 

• labour market institutions. 

The head of a school approves the programme by 30 September each school year, after consultation with the school’s teaching council. 

The statutes of a school lay down organisational arrangements for additional classes for pupils to enhance their employability if a given school conducts such classes.

As part of their main responsibilities, school careers advisers:

• assess regularly pupils’ / learners’ needs for career guidance activities;

• conduct career guidance classes;

• develop a career guidance programme in collaboration with other teachers (including class tutors responsible for individual classes, psychologists or pedagogues (education specialists)), and coordinate its implementation; 

• support teachers (including class tutors responsible for classes, psychologists or pedagogues) in conducting activities included in the programme; 

• coordinate information and guidance activities in the school, including the collection, updating and dissemination of education- and career-related information relevant to a given level of education.

If there is no careers adviser in a school, the responsibilities of an adviser are taken on by a teacher, including a class tutor, pedagogue or psychologist, appointed by the school head. 

(Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 12 February 2019 on career guidance / Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 12 lutego 2019 r. w sprawie doradztwa zawodowego). 

Individualised education-and-therapy programmes for pupils in Grades VII and VIII of the primary school or in a post-primary school should specify career guidance classes and education and career planning classes to be conducted as part of psychological and educational support.

For pupils who are disabled or ill, it is particularly important to consider possible limitations resulting from their health condition when planning educational paths and choosing a career. If pupils have health problems and their choice of a training area is limited, as confirmed by an opinion from a counselling and guidance centre, they may apply for priority admission to a post-primary school at the second stage of the admission procedure.

In providing career guidance, schools are supported by public counselling and guidance centres, including specialist centres. Such centres support children and young people in education and career planning, for example, in the form of: 

• workshops, 

• counselling and guidance sessions, 

• lectures, and 

• presentations.

Public counselling and guidance centres provide educational counselling and career guidance services in the following forms:

• workshops,

• advice,

• counselling and guidance sessions,

• participation in meetings between teachers and specialists, and meetings of the school’s teaching council,

• cooperation and self-study networks for teachers, class or group tutors and specialists to enable them to exchange information and experience.

Centres also offer information and training on career guidance to pupils, parents and teachers.

Centre for Education Development

Within the school education system, the Centre for Education Development (CED) (Ośrodek Rozwoju Edukacji) provides support to career guidance staff.

CED is a public national-level in-service teacher training institution. It is supervised by the minister responsible for school education.

As part of their main responsibilities in career guidance, CED:

• assesses training needs of careers advisers, teachers and other staff working in educational institutions in the area of career guidance;

• provides in-service training to career guidance staff in the school education system;

• supports public in-service teacher training institutions, counselling and guidance centres, including specialist centres, education resources centres, and teachers-methodological advisers in the area of career guidance;

• develops and publishes information and methodological materials, and promotes innovative activities, including publications;

• creates databases and educational resources, and disseminates educational information in the area of career guidance;

• collaborates with national and international partners to improve the quality of, and promote, career guidance; 

• runs the Career Guidance portal (Doradztwo zawodowe) and the Careers Adviser support network (Doradca Zawodowy) (information in Polish only); 

• is the National Reference Point (Krajowy Punkt Referencyjny; information in Polish only) of the EQAVET (European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training) network (information on EQAVET National Reference Points in English). 

Sectoral Skills Centres

In 2023, a new type of public and non-public institution was established, where learners can acquire and broaden their vocational knowledge, skills and qualifications or change their qualifications, and which support collaboration between schools, other school education institutions and higher education institutions and employers. 

As one of their tasks, Sectoral Skills Centres (SSCs) support career guidance for pupils and job placement for higher education students, doctoral students and graduates. 

The minister responsible for school education announces a competition to select SSCs forming a national network of SSCs and to develop the network. 

(Art. 8, sections 3a-3e of the Act of 14 December 2016, The Law on School Education / ustawa z dnia 14 grudnia 2016 r. ‒ Prawo oświatowe)

(Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 28 September 2023 on the outline timetables for public continuing education institutions, public vocational education and training centres and public sectoral skills centres / rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z dnia 28 września 2023 r. w sprawie ramowych statutów: publicznej placówki kształcenia ustawicznego, publicznego centrum kształcenia zawodowego i publicznego branżowego centrum umiejętności)