2023

"Active whiteboard" - 2023 edition

29 March 2023

The next edition of the government's 'Active Blackboard' programme, which aims to develop school infrastructure and the competences of students and teachers in the field of information and communication technologies, is being launched.

Financial support under the 2023 programme will be provided to:

- primary schools that did not receive financial support in the previous 2017-2019 edition of the programme;

- secondary schools;

- schools educating blind pupils;

- schools educating students with special educational needs, including those with disabilities, special education centres and schools that did not benefit from the programme in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The programme applies to both public and non-public schools.

The planned total cost of the programme's implementation is PLN 361 million 455,000, of which PLN 290 million will come from the state budget, while the own contribution of leading bodies that are local government units, legal persons other than local government units or natural persons will be PLN 71 million 455,000. For the implementation of the programme in 2023, PLN 60 million has been allocated from the state budget. The programme is financed in 80 per cent from the state budget and in 20 per cent from the own contribution of the bodies running the schools.

https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja-i-nauka/aktywna-tablica--edycja-2023

Changes to the physical education core curriculum

23 February 2023

A draft amendment to the physical education core curriculum has been submitted for public consultation. The proposed changes include the introduction of fitness tests for pupils in classes IV-VIII of primary school and in secondary schools, and the entry of their results into the "Sport Talents" ICT system. The changes will take effect from the 2023/2024 school year.

Changes include amendments to the core curriculum for general education in the field of physical education - in the part "Conditions and manner of implementation" - an obligation to conduct fitness tests of students of individual classes once during the school year (in the period from March to April) and to enter the results of these tests into the "Sport Talents" ICT system. The system is operated by the minister responsible for physical culture.

Access to the Sport Talents ICT system will be open via each physical education teacher's individual account. It will be administered by a designated person in a given school. Administrator accounts in schools will be set up by a system operator indicated by the minister responsible for physical culture. The school's designated administrator will create accounts for individual physical education teachers in the institution.

The results of the tests carried out will not affect a pupil's grade in physical education.

With data covering the entire student population, the relevant public institutions will be able to gain knowledge of specific physical activity deficits of children and young people. This will make it possible to develop optimal, targeted measures in this area.

The Sport Talents ICT system will also serve to identify sporting talents among pupils.

https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja-i-nauka/zmiany-w-podstawie-programowej-wychowania-fizycznego2

2022

Purchase of laptops for schools

14 December 2022

The Ministry of Education and Science has published a document entitled Framework defining the procedures for the distribution of ICT equipment and the provision of infrastructure to schools by the Government and Ministry of Education and Science (laptops), which contains basic information on the procedure for the provision of computers to primary and secondary school teachers and pupils in the fourth grades of primary schools.

The computers are scheduled to be handed over by the end of Q3 2023.

By the end of Q3 2023, it is planned to deliver laptops to 465,000 primary and secondary school teachers and 365,000 students who will start fourth grade of primary school in September 2023. In turn, 370,000 computers are planned to be delivered in the third quarter of 2024 to a further cohort of pupils who will start fourth year of primary school in September 2024.

Comments on this procedure are being collected until 21 December 2022.

Source: https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja-i-nauka/zakup-komputerow-dla-szkol--zachecamy-do-przesylania-opinii-i-uwag

Funds for the development of educational infrastructure

14 November 2022

As part of the two editions of the Government's Polish Deal Fund - Strategic Investment Programme, a total of PLN 5.2 billion has been allocated to local authorities across Poland. These are funds earmarked for, among others, the construction of kindergartens, playgrounds, sports halls, the reconstruction and modernisation of schools, and the development of a care system for young children and pupils. Support was also extended to non-governmental establishments and organisations supporting educational activities. They received PLN 140 million under the programmes by the Minister of Education and Science.

Under the first edition of the programme, local governments received nearly PLN 2 billion. Under the second edition of the 'Polish Deal', the government allocated PLN 3.2 billion for educational investments. This is nearly 7 per cent of all investments made.

Under Minister of Education and Science programmes 'Investment in Education' and 'Development of the Infrastructural Potential of Institutions Supporting the Education System', support was provided to non-governmental organisations and bodies that carry out statutory activities in the field of education. In total, they received PLN 140 million.

Proposed changes to the school core curriculum

25 October 2022

The proposals include:

• amending the core curriculum for the subject of technology (grades IV-VI of primary school) (among other things, extending the teaching content related to communication education, also in connection with the emerging new means of personal transport used by pupils);
• definition of a core curriculum for the subject of Latin (this language can be taught as a second foreign language from grade VII of primary school);
• supplementing the core curriculum of the Polish language for upper secondary and technical schools with games of educational value;
• replacing the core curriculum for the subject of entrepreneurship in secondary schools with a core curriculum for the subject of business and management - basic scope, and defining a core curriculum for the subject of business and management - extended scope.

Amendments to three regulations are planned as follows:

• on the core curriculum for preschool education and the core curriculum for general education in primary schools, including for pupils with a moderate and severe intellectual disability, and for general education in stage I sectoral vocational schools, general education in special schools preparing for employment, and general education in post-secondary schools,
• on the core curriculum for general education in general secondary schools, technical schools and stage II sectoral vocational schools,
• on the outline timetables for public schools.

The planned changes will be implemented from the 2023/2024 school year.

Health related projects

19 October 2022

"Healthy Life"

"Healthy Life" is a joint venture of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Assets, the National Health Fund and PZU (National Insurance Agency), under the patronage of the Presidential Couple. The Ministry of Education and Science has joined the programme and will be involved in the implementation of the education and information campaign. The main objective of the undertaking is to promote a healthy lifestyle and popularise preventive healthcare.

The main objectives of the project include:

• building awareness and promoting preventive health care through a nationwide educational and health campaign,
• conducting free, specialised examinations and consultations in mobile health zones,
• increasing the availability of digital services in health care,
• support and assistance in taking care of health, especially after a pandemic.

The organisers of the Healthy Life programme have planned to organise an information campaign and mobile health zones. Patients will be able to perform basic diagnostic tests and take part in consultations.

The Ministry of Education and Science will join in the implementation of an education and information campaign popularising healthy lifestyles and health prevention, and will support the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland in projects aimed at children and young people. The Ministry will also conduct an information campaign on the Junior-Edu-Nutrition (PL abbreviation: JEŻ) research and implementation programme.

"Healthy kids are us!"

For pupils in primary school grades I to III, the Ministry of Health is launching the "Healthy kids are us"! programme. The programme includes provision of educational materials about healthy eating habits, the impact of exercise on health, sleep or vaccinations. They have an attractive graphic design for children and include, among others, cross-outs, drawings, word puzzles and quizzes. Teachers, in turn, will receive ready-made lesson plans.

The materials were prepared by experts from the National Centre for Nutrition Education and the National Institute of Public Health in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and methodologists from the Centre for Education Development. The project is under the patronage of the Minister of Education and Science. The materials will be available on the Integrated Education Platform.

Autumn edition of "Explore Poland" - over PLN 47 million to subsidise school trips

4 October 2022

The aim of the 'Explore Poland' programme is to make the educational process more attractive and enable young people to learn about Poland, its natural environment, traditions, cultural and historical monuments and the achievements of Polish science. The initiative allows for the practical acquisition of knowledge - discovering traces of history and experimenting.

In the school year 2021/22, the programme enjoyed great interest. Over 460,000 pupils benefited from it. During 11,000 educational excursions, they discovered the country's natural, historical and cultural wealth. In the autumn edition of the 'Explore Poland' programme, nearly 5,700 school trips were subsidised.

In 2022/23 the Ministry of Education and Science will allocate more than PLN 47 million for this purpose.

Under the initiative, 5,699 school trips will receive funding. The total amount of support will be PLN 47,016,692.97.

New position in mainstream and inclusive pre-schools and schools - special education teacher

2 August 2022

Starting on 1 September 2022, the implementation of the first stage of standardisation of the employment of, among others, special education teachers in pre-schools and schools will begin. In connection with these changes, the qualification requirements for this group of teachers have been specified. The proposed changes are included in the draft amendment to the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 1 August 2017 on detailed qualifications required of teachers (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 1289).

Under the proposed changes, the position of special education teacher in mainstream and integrated preschools and schools will be open to teachers with:

• a uniform master's degree in special education, or
• a uniform master's degree or first- or second-cycle studies in special pedagogy, or
• a uniform master's degree or first- or second-cycle studies in pedagogy and a completed qualification course or postgraduate studies in special pedagogy or in inclusive education.

Until 31 August 2026, the position of special education teacher will also be open to a person who:

• is qualified to occupy the position of a teacher in pre-school and classes I-III of primary school and, in addition, has completed postgraduate studies in the field of early support of child development - this applies to mainstream and integrated pre-schools,
• is qualified to work in pre-schools, mainstream and integrated schools as specified by regulations, and has completed a qualification course or post-graduate studies in special pedagogy.

The draft amendment to the regulation also changes the qualification requirements for teachers of pre-schools, schools and special branches organised in therapeutic institutions (e.g. hospitals). This group of teachers will not be required to have qualifications in therapeutic or medical pedagogy.

Changes to safety education in primary and secondary schools

1 August 2022

New teaching content in the subject of Education for Safety are the most important changes in the draft regulations of the Minister of Education and Science submitted for public consultation and inter-ministerial arrangements.

Draft regulations of the Minister of Education and Science amending the regulations on the core curriculum of general education have been submitted for public consultation and inter-ministerial arrangements.

Safety education - proposed changes

The subject of Education for Safety is compulsorily implemented in class VIII of primary school and in class I of secondary schools (general secondary school, technical secondary school and Stage I sectoral vocational school) to the extent of 1 hour per week. Current challenges and threats require supplementing the educational objectives and content with issues related to national defence, the acquisition of shooting skills and preparing pupils to deal with threats caused by warfare.

The designed changes to the safety education core curriculum were prepared taking into account the current number of hours taught in this subject and assuming maximum use of the content of the existing core curriculum, e.g. first aid or emergency response.

Additional areas of action in various emergency situations, including crisis and war, were then identified.

1. response to the threat of warfare (so-called survival, including places of refuge),

2. principles of first aid in the event of a threat with conventional weapons,

3. defence education including:

• for primary school - requirements in the areas of: terrain awareness, cyber security with a military dimension, preparation for shooting training;
• for secondary schools, requirements in the areas of: warfare response, cyber security with a military dimension, shooting training.

In the case of shooting training at primary school level, the draft proposes only the theory of safe gun handling. In secondary schools, on the other hand, it will include the basics of shooting with a practical part conducted with the use of safe tools for shooting practice, such as e.g. pellet guns, air guns, replica small arms (ASG), virtual or laser shooting ranges.

The detailed scope of the changes to the safety education core curriculum is discussed in the justifications of the projects. The drafts were prepared in cooperation and consultation with the Ministry of National Defence.

It is proposed that the revised core curriculum for safety education will already apply from the coming school year (2022/2023). For secondary schools located in areas where there is no access to the types of shooting ranges mentioned above, the implementation of this requirement will be compulsory from the 2024/2025 school year. Until then, schools can conduct classes in this area as and when opportunities are available and expanding each year, including through the 'Shooting range in the county' programme implemented by the Ministry of Defence since 2019.

The regulations have been signed on 1 August 2022 and will come into force starting in the school year 2022/23.

Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji i Nauki zmieniające rozporządzenie w sprawie podstawy programowej kształcenia ogólnego dla liceum ogólnokształcącego, technikum oraz branżowej szkoły II stopnia

Projekt rozporządzenia Ministra Edukacji i Nauki zmieniającego rozporządzenie w sprawie podstawy programowej wychowania przedszkolnego oraz podstawy programowej kształcenia ogólnego dla szkoły podstawowej, w tym dla uczniów z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną w stopniu umiarkowanym lub znacznym, kształcenia ogólnego dla branżowej szkoły I stopnia, kształcenia ogólnego dla szkoły specjalnej przysposabiającej do pracy oraz kształcenia ogólnego dla szkoły policealnej

Organising and delivering classes using distance learning methods and techniques - draft regulation for consultation

27 July 2022

The proposed regulation on the organisation and conduct of classes using distance learning methods and techniques implements the provisions of Article 125a, paragraph 6 of the Act of 14 December 2016. – Law on School Education and results from the need to regulate the detailed conditions for organising and conducting classes in a remote form in a situation when classes cannot be conducted on the premises of a school/school due to:

• threats to pupils' safety in connection with the organisation and conduct of national or international events,
• unsuitable temperature outside or in the premises where pupils are taught,
• epidemiological situation or other extraordinary event threatening the safety or health of pupils.

The draft stipulates that the suspension of classes conducted on site (at school premises) takes place in the cases and in the way specified in the regulations on safety and hygiene in public and non-public schools and institutions, i.e. in the Regulation of the Minister of National Education and Sport of 31 December 2002 on safety and hygiene in public and non-public schools and institutions (Official Journal of 2020, item 1604) and in the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 28 August 2017 on types of other forms of pre-school education, conditions for establishing and organisation of such forms and their functioning (Official Journal of 2020, item 1520).

The proposed solutions will ensure continuity of the educational process by allowing students to participate in classes when it is not possible to conduct them on site due to the occurrence of the listed circumstances threatening the health or life of the students.

The proposed regulation does not imply the introduction of remote learning, i.e. using distance learning methods and techniques, from 1 September 2022. The new school year 2022/2023 will start in schools, kindergartens and institutions with classroom-based learning.

Programme "Investments in education" - PLN 100 million for investments in schools and non-governmental institutions

25 July 2022

The new programme of the Minister of Education and Science is aimed at making investments in non-self-government schools and establishments. Support in the form of a targeted grant can be received by entities which are not units of the public finance sector. The call for applications for the programme runs until 31 October this year. The programme budget amounts to PLN 100 million.

The 'Investments in Education' programme enables non-governmental organisations, associations and other entities running schools and educational establishments to obtain funds for the renovation and development of educational infrastructure.

Entities that are not units of the public finance sector can apply for support in the form of a targeted grant. Funds from the programme will help adapt educational infrastructure to the needs of the education process.

Legal basis

Education Support Programme

12 July 2022

Creating interactive teaching aids and educational materials, organising extracurricular activities, sports and recreational events, competitions, exhibitions and conferences are just some of the projects that can receive funding under the 'Education Support Programme'. This new initiative of the Ministry of Education and Science aims at non-governmental organisations, including scout organisations, which carry out their activities in the field of education and upbringing. The Ministry of Education and Science will allocate PLN 10 million for the implementation of the programme until the end of the year.

Programme’s main aims:

• to promote patriotic upbringing,
• to involve pupils in active participation in the life of the family, school, local and national community,
• forming in pupils a sense of self-dignity and respect for the dignity of others,
• supporting the educational system through the use of new technologies and innovative educational solutions,
• strengthening the sense of individual, cultural, national, regional and ethnic identity,
• awakening cognitive curiosity,
• promoting a healthy lifestyle and physical activity,
• shaping work discipline, determination, perseverance, consistency, 
• developing creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The programme covers the funding of projects (90 per cent grant, 10 per cent own financial contribution) for the following activities:

• creation of interactive teaching aids and innovative educational materials,
• organising extracurricular and out-of-school activities, including those that develop social activity and encourage active leisure,
• organising school sports competition,
• organising events, including: competitions, exhibitions, presentations, workshops, lectures, sports and recreational events, seminars, conferences, rallies,
• carrying out other projects in support of kindergartens, schools, educational settings, lifelong learning centres, art establishments, psychological and pedagogical counselling centres.

Programme modules

The activities implemented under the programme must correspond to one of the three modules.

Module 1 - "Innovative education".

• Developing students' skills in the efficient use of information and communication technologies,
• Developing in students and teachers an openness to new technologies through the use of innovative educational materials and interactive teaching aids,
• shaping in students attitudes of entrepreneurship and creativity, which will foster active participation in social and economic life,
• dissemination among children and young people of knowledge on safety and shaping appropriate attitudes towards threats, including those related to the use of information and communication technologies,
• creating conditions for the development of pupils' interests and talents, in particular in the area of new technologies.

Module 2 - "Patriotic education".

• Discovering, documenting and disseminating knowledge of Polish history in accordance with the content of the history subject curriculum,
• maintenance and dissemination of national traditions, cultivation of Polish identity, development of national, civic and cultural awareness, including the demonstration and implementation of universal values related to patriotic attitudes,
• support the educational role of the family in accordance with the curriculum content concerning knowledge of human sexual life, the principles of conscious and responsible parenthood, the value of the family, life in the prenatal phase, and methods and means of conscious procreation included in the core curriculum for general education, implemented within the educational classes "Education for living in the family".

Module 3 - Education through Sport

• Popularisation and dissemination of the idea of education through sport,
• Popularisation and dissemination of an active lifestyle and active leisure activities among pupils, including popularisation of various sports disciplines,
• shaping positive role models by using the didactic function of sport,
• disseminating knowledge among children and young people about the principles of rational nutrition and counteracting food waste.

Within the individual modules, financial support can be obtained in the amount of:

• "Innovative education" - from PLN 50 thousand to PLN 250 thousand;
• "Patriotic education" - from PLN 20 thousand to PLN 250 thousand;
• 'Education through sport' - from PLN 20,000 to PLN 250,000.

Key aims for the state educational policy in the school year 2022/2023

8 July 2022

Key aims for the state educational policy:

1. Education aimed at the achievement of human maturity through the formation of attitudes oriented towards truth, goodness and beauty, enabling responsible decision-making.
2. Supporting the educational role of the family through appropriate organisation and implementation of educational classes preparing pupils for life in the family. Protecting and strengthening the mental health of children and young people.
3. Offering wide access to  the canon and principles of classical education and drawing on the heritage of European civilisation, e.g. by enabling the learning of Latin from primary school onwards.
4. Improvement of teachers' competences for working with students coming from abroad, in particular from Ukraine, adequate to the needs and competences of teachers of new subjects introduced to the core curriculum.
5. Supporting education in secondary schools in connection with the new format of the matriculation examination from 2023.
6. Improvement of the vocational education system in cooperation with employers - implementation of the Integrated Skills Strategy 2030.
7. Development of teachers' methodological skills in the correct and effective use of information and communication technologies in educational processes. Supporting information and media education, in particular the formation of a critical approach to content published on the Internet and social media.
8. Supporting teachers and other members of the school community in developing pupils' basic and transversal skills, in particular using the teaching aids purchased under the "Laboratories of the Future" programme.
9. Improving the quality of education and the availability and quality of support provided to children and pupils in mainstream and inclusive pre-schools and schools.

Fewer promotion grades and higher salaries for teachers

23 June 2022

The number of professional promotion grades will be reduced and teachers in their first years of work will earn more - the Polish Parliament decided when it passed an amendment to the Teachers' Charter Act.

Two levels of teachers' professional advancement will be eliminated: trainee teacher and contract teacher. After their abolition in the system - instead of four degrees of professional promotion there will be three: novice teacher, appointed teacher and chartered teacher.

The rules for the teacher's employment will also change. For the first two years, he or she will be employed under a fixed-term employment contract. Thereafter, he or she will be able to be employed on the basis of an indefinite-term contract.

The amendment also introduces changes concerning the so-called average remuneration of teachers. According to it, the average remuneration of a teacher without a professional promotion rank is to amount to 120 per cent of the base amount, determined for teachers annually in the Budget Act.

Changes to the professional promotion of teachers

According to the amendment, the number of degrees of professional promotion will be reduced. Two degrees of professional promotion of teachers will be eliminated: trainee teacher and contract teacher. After their abolition in the system - instead of four degrees of professional promotion there will be: a novice teacher (without a professional promotion degree) and - as at present - an appointed teacher and a chartered teacher.

Formally, the rank of appointed teacher will become the first step of promotion, which a young teacher will be able to apply for after four years of service. During this period, for 3 years and 9 months, the young teacher will follow not an induction period  but  "preparation for the profession".

In connection with the introduction of the “preparation for the teaching profession” period, the rules for the teacher's employment relationship will change. For the first two years, he or she will be employed under a fixed-term employment contract.

After having worked at the school for at least two years and having obtained at least a good performance appraisal, the teacher will be employed on the basis of an indefinite-term contract. A teacher who does not obtain the rank of appointed teacher within six years of the start of his/her training will be able to be employed on the basis of a fixed-term employment contract for one school year. In some cases such a contract can be concluded more than once.

Teachers' average salaries go up

The amendment also introduces changes concerning the so-called average remuneration of teachers. According to it, the average remuneration of a teacher without a professional promotion rank is to amount to 120 per cent of the base amount determined for teachers annually in the Budget Act.

Currently, the average remuneration for teachers is 100 per cent of the basic amount for a trainee teacher and 111 per cent of the basic amount for a contract teacher. The average remuneration for appointed and chartered teachers is to remain unchanged. As before, it is to be 144 per cent of the base amount for an appointed teacher and 184 per cent of the base amount for a chartered teacher.

The amendment also stipulates that, within the 40-hour working week, a teacher will be required to be "available at school for one hour per week", during which time he or she "shall, as appropriate, provide consultation to pupils or their parents".

In the case of a teacher employed at less than half of compulsory teaching time, he or she will be required to be available for an hour within two weeks. As stated in the explanatory memorandum to the draft, the aim is to "guarantee pupils and their parents the possibility to consult the teacher."

Digital school of the future - launch of consultation on the edukacja.gov.pl portal

9 June 2022

Services and tools related to education and learning in one place - this is the basic premise of the new portal edukacja.gov.pl.

The portal was created to provide members of the educational community - regardless of whether they are starting education, teaching others or running a school - with access to all services and tools which can be useful in their studies and work. Thanks to the edukacja.gov.pl website, everyone will have access to information necessary to choose a school or university and will be able to remotely fill in an application form or check recruitment results online.

The portal will unify the tools and processes already provided by public institutions and provide new ones. Various educational documents will be collected in an individual account. It will be possible to make them available to others, for example during recruitment. Schools and governing bodies will also benefit from the digitalisation of processes - education management will become faster and more convenient.

New functionalities of edukacja.gov.pl will be expanded successively. The portal's formula and functionalities will be developed in the course of consultations.

All members of the education and research community - pupils, students, parents, teachers, tutors, school leaders - are invited to take part in the consultation. The consultation will take place in two stages. 

There is a special form on the edukacja.gov.pl website, which allows the user to submit proposals for the portal's functionality and expectations. Filling it in will take the user only a few minutes. In case of any doubts, the portal team will contact the authors of the proposals. In parallel, the team will also conduct in-depth interviews to best reflect user expectations - all in line with best user experience practices.

The consultation does not have a deadline, but suggestions made earlier will be taken into account more quickly.

PE with Warsaw Academy of Physical Education (AWF) - Active return of pupils to school after the pandemic" - 2nd edition of the Ministry of Education and Science and AWF programme

10 February 2022

In 2022, the programme "PE with AWF - Active return of pupils to school after the pandemic" will be continued with funding of over PLN 36 million.

The results of the first edition of the joint project of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Warsaw Academy of Physical Education "PE with AWF" include almost 120 thousand pupils taking part in additional sports activities and over 31 thousand trained teachers, almost 9 thousand Sport Clubs all over Poland and 180 thousand hours of physical activities for children and young people after a long period of distance learning.

The project included two stages: I - Active return to school, II - Sport Clubs. Specialists from the Warsaw AWF, in cooperation with physical education academies from other cities, trained physical education teachers from primary and secondary schools and early childhood education settings.

A total of 51,000 teachers have registered for the programme, of whom more than 31,000 physical education and early childhood education teachers have so far completed the training and received the certificate. The remaining registered teachers will be able to take part in the second edition of the programme.

So far 350 training courses have been conducted in nine physical education academy centres. The courses have consisted of theoretical lectures on health and psychological aspects and practical classes conducted by specialists from the physical education academies.

As part of the second stage of the programme "PE with AWF - Active return of pupils to school after the pandemic", 8.7 thousand Sports Clubs were established, in which over 180 thousand hours of classes were conducted for almost 120 thousand pupils. Many of them were pupils in grades 1-3 from primary schools in rural areas (39%). Children with disabilities also participated in the programme.

"National Oncology Strategy for 2020-2030" - tender procedure of the Ministry of Health

9 February 2022

As part of the implementation of the programme "National Oncology Strategy for 2020-2030" The Ministry of Health announced a tender procedure "Preparation of materials for pupils and teachers and implementing a pilot as part of educational activities for cancer prevention and the formation of pro-health attitudes in the field of school health education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the implementation of the Educational Programme for Health in Schools".

The subject of the contract related to the implementation of the Educational Health Programme in schools is a service which includes:

• Development of a concept of teaching in the field of health education and promotion of healthy lifestyle to be implemented in schools within the framework of health classes for pupils of primary schools in grades 4-8 and students of secondary schools,
• Design and production of a set of educational materials (publications, handouts and lesson plans for teachers, teachers' guide) and teaching aids for pupils and teachers, and a guide for parents,
• Carry out a health education pilot with the use of developed educational materials and teaching aids, prepare a report summarising its results with recommendations for the implementation of health education in schools and implement the results of the pilot in the selected educational materials and teaching aids,
• Update the methodological guide for teachers "School promoting the recommendations of the European Code Against Cancer".

The Ministry of Health, which cooperates with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Sport in this regard, is responsible for the implementation of tasks under the programme "National Oncology Strategy for 2020-2030".

PLN 180 million for additional specialist classes in psychological and pedagogical support

8 February 2022

From 1 March this year, specialist classes in psychological and pedagogical support will be implemented in schools during additional hours. The Ministry of Education and Science will allocate 180 million PLN for this purpose. This amount will allow to realize about 3 million additional hours of classes for pupils. Funds in the educational part of the general subvention for psychological and pedagogical support for 2022 will be increased by 31%. The distribution of funds will be maximally simplified. Support will include the organisation of corrective-compensatory classes, speech therapy, classes developing emotional and social competences, and other classes of a therapeutic nature.

Funds for the organisation of psychological and pedagogical support in 2022

In 2022, funds in the amount of PLN 700 million have been secured for the organisation of psychological and pedagogical support, including:

• PLN 180 million for additional specialist classes in psychological and pedagogical support - measures planned from 1 March this year
• PLN 520 million for the first stage of standardisation of employment of psychologists, pedagogues, speech therapists, pedagogical therapists and special educators from September 2022 - funds available starting on 1 September 2022.

Additional psychological and pedagogical assistance

From 1 March 2022 public and non-public primary schools, secondary schools and art schools providing general education in the scope of primary school and general secondary school will be able to provide additional hours of specialist psychological and pedagogical assistance. Support will include organization of corrective-compensatory lessons, speech therapy, developing emotional and social competences and other therapeutic activities for pupils, in whom the need for psychological and pedagogical support has been identified.

The classes will be conducted by teachers: psychologists, pedagogues, speech therapists, vocational counsellors and pedagogical therapists. Depending on the needs of pupils, they can also be conducted by other specialists.

Detailed issues in this regard will be regulated in the provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science amending the regulation on specific solutions in the period of temporary limitation of functioning of units of the educational system in connection with preventing, counteracting and combating COVID-19.

Organisation of additional specialist classes in psychological and pedagogical support

By 21 February 2022 the school heads will provide the local authority with information on the number of hours of additional specialist classes planned at a given school.

The classes can be conducted from 1st March this year, but it is the school - according to its needs and possibilities - that will decide when they should begin. The classes should be completed by 20 December 2022.

Additional specialist classes will be organised according to the identified needs of pupils, including those starting education in the school year 2022/2023.

Division of funds for additional specialist classes

Financing of additional specialist classes in the area of psychological and pedagogical support will be realized from the reserve of the educational part of the general subvention, which will be increased for this purpose by the amount of PLN 180 million. The distribution of funds among local authorities will take place in accordance with the criteria for the distribution of the reserve for 2022.

The distribution of funds will be maximally simplified and will be implemented by Ministry on the basis of the number of pupils in schools as on 30 September 2021. The funds will be transferred to the accounts of local authorities by the Ministry of Finance. The transfer of funds should take place before the start date of classes.

Financial support for the organisation of additional specialist classes for pupils of non-public and public schools, which are not run by local authorities and for pupils of schools run by natural and legal persons registered by the minister responsible for culture will be provided in the form of a targeted grant.

Amount of support 

Throughout the country, the amount of 180 million PLN allocated to this task will make it possible to provide approximately 3 million additional hours of classes for pupils. Thus, the funds in the educational part of the general subvention for psychological and pedagogical support for 2022 will be increased by 31%.

The estimated number of hours of additional specialist classes in psychological and pedagogical support will be:

• in a school with 100 pupils - 63 additional teaching hours,
• in a school with 200 pupils - 127 additional teaching hours,
• in a school with 300 pupils - 191 additional teaching hours,
• in a school with 400 pupils - 255 additional teaching hours,
• in a school with 500 pupils - 319 additional teaching hours,
• in a school with 600 pupils - 383 additional teaching hours.

First stage of standardisation of employment of specialists

From 1 September 2022, the implementation of the first stage of standardisation of employment of psychologists, pedagogues, speech therapists, educational therapists and special educators in pre-schools and schools will begin. Solutions in this area will be introduced gradually, until 1 September 2024.

The scope of specialist staff employment will depend on the number of pupils in the pre-school/school.

Timetable

Detailed timetable for the introduction of additional specialist classes in psychological and pedagogical support: 

• by 21 February 2022 – school heads will submit to the local authority, respectively, information on the number of hours of additional specialist classes planned at a given school or an application for a special purpose grant for financing the organisation of additional specialist classes,
• by the end of February 2022 - the distribution of funds will be carried out by the Ministry of Education and Science and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance. The funds should reach the accounts of local authorities before the commencement of classes,
• from 1 March to 20 December 2022 - implementation of additional specialist classes.

Legislation: Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z dnia 8 lutego 2022 r. zmieniające rozporządzenie w sprawie szczególnych rozwiązań w okresie czasowego ograniczenia funkcjonowania jednostek systemu oświaty w związku z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19

"Laboratories of the Future" - expanding the programme and increasing financial support to schools

4 February 2022

"Laboratories of the Future" is an initiative implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science in cooperation with the Chancellery of the Prime Minister GovTech Centre. As part of the programme, 99% of public primary schools will receive funding for the purchase of modern equipment to develop future competencies, including 3D printers, microcontrollers or recording equipment. Schools can choose equipment from a catalogue of 177 items.

The Minister of Education and Science announced the development of the programme and the inclusion of non-public schools, including Polish schools abroad, and secondary schools in the programme's financial support.

The equipment, which will be distributed to schools, will support the discovery of talents and the development of passions of young people in the areas that interest them. Thanks to modern equipment, pupils will be able to conduct scientific experiments, acquire new competencies and skills that will be important in subsequent stages of education and will help them choose their career paths.

Remote learning up to the end of the winter holidays

26 January 2022

From 27 January 2022 to 27 February 2022, primary school pupils in classes V-VIII and secondary school pupils will take part in remote classes. Continuing education institutions and vocational training centres will also work online. Pupils in primary school in classes I-IV and in pre-primary schools and classes will continue to attend lessons/activities on site.

Legal basis (text in Polish).

Business and management – new subject in Polish schools (starting in September 2023)

20 January 2022

The Ministry of Education and Science plans to introduce a new subject in schools from 1 September 2023. New subject is called Business and management, which starting in 2027 students will be able to choose as an additional subject at extended level in the matriculation (Matura) examination.

The subject will implement and extend the assumptions of the current subject Introduction to Entrepreneurship. It is planned that the current number of hours of obligatory classes for students of secondary schools will be maintained. Business and management will replace the current Introduction to entrepreneurship. In addition to the requirements for the basic level, the core curriculum will also specify the requirements for the extended level, so that students (who wish to do so) may take the Matura exam in Business and management as an additional subject at the extended level. This exam will be held for the first time in 2027.

The introduction of a new Matura subject is a response to the needs and demands made by business and academic circles, as well as the Council for Financial Education and the President's Council for Entrepreneurship.

Introduction of Business and management (BM) teaching at extended level will make it possible for the new subject to include additional contents apart from such issues as personal finance, labour market or economic system, which are already present in the core curriculum of the Introduction to Entrepreneurship. Particular emphasis within BM will be placed on working in groups, analysing practical examples of the experience of Polish and foreign entrepreneurs and developing leadership competences. These are elements present in all business studies, including MBA-type programmes.

The catalogue of teaching materials will be extended by introducing new technologies and digital tools to serve students, teachers and other members of the school community.

Consultations on the core curriculum for the new subject have been already launched. Representatives of business, sector organisations and experts-practitioners have been invited to participate in the work related to the preparation of the Business and management core curriculum. The main assumption of the new subject is to give it a practical dimension and to adapt the topics to the expectations of the labour market and the needs of universities.

Consultations take place online.

2021

Specialized Support Centers for Inclusive Education - pilot program launched

3 December 2021

The pilot implementation of the Specialized Support Centers for Inclusive Education (SCWEW) model was launched on December 3. The program is co-created by the Centre for Education Development. Over PLN 36 million has been allocated for this purpose.

The role of the new centers will be to work more closely with mainstream institutions to better organize activities for inclusive education. As part of the programme, a Coordinating Centre is to be established to oversee the proper operation of the SCWEW network.

The tasks of the centers implemented during the pilot program:

• consultations and other forms of support for teaching and non-teaching staff of kindergartens and schools in the field of recognizing developmental and educational needs and methods of working with a diverse class, including the use of universal design principles;
• close cooperation with parents;
• supporting management staff in developing an appropriate model of functioning as an inclusive organization in order to ensure high quality of education and support;
• improving the accessibility of the kindergarten and school;
• co-leading educational activities in a class/group by SCWEW teachers and specialists in cooperation with a teacher/specialist from a mainstream school, respectively;
• conducting model specialist classes and open lessons in a mainstream school or in SCWEW;
• organising specialised training, cooperation and self-education networks in cooperation with other entities;
• maintaining a database of information on institutions and entities providing support in the community;
• lending of textbooks, specialised equipment, and teaching aids tailored to the needs of pupils.

Every child is to be guaranteed assistance, including psychological and pedagogical support that is tailored to his or her needs. For several years, the Ministry of Education and Science has been working with specialists to develop the best model of interinstitutional support. The SCWEW centers are to be the guarantee that children receive such assistance.

History and the Present instead of Civic Education at the basic level - a new subject in secondary schools from 1 September 2022

9 November 2021

In December 2021, a draft core curriculum for the subject of History and the Present will go to public consultations and inter-ministerial arrangements. The subject will be introduced from 1 September 2022 in class I of secondary school, replacing Civic Education.

The new subject History and the Present will replace the subject Civic Education implemented in general and technical secondary school,  and sectoral vocational schools. Civic Education at the extended level for general and technical secondary school students will remain unchanged.

The content of the subject History and the Present will include issues from the current core curriculum of Civic Education subject and issues of recent history - post-war history from 1945 to 2015: Poland and the world.

The new subject is a supplemented and extended continuation of the course of modern history and civic education taught in class VIII of primary school. There will also be correlation with the core curriculum of history in secondary schools, so that the content of modern history is repeated only as much as is necessary.

The content of the existing subject of Civic Education (basic level) will be put into historical context, which will enable students to better understand complex historical and socio-political processes.

The aim of introducing the new subject is to increase the scope of issues related to recent history in the historical education of students in post-primary schools. Importantly, a compulsory, regular, chronological, full history course for every secondary school pupil will be maintained. Pupils will also learn the basic and enduring principles of social life, including the foundations of state and law.

The core curriculum for History subject at the general secondary school, technical secondary school and Stage I sectoral vocational school will be supplemented with teaching contents - specific requirements covering events from the period after Poland's accession to the European Union (from 2004 to 2015).

The content will be changed in such a way that its implementation in the basic scope will be completed in the first semester of the final year of secondary school.

The total number of hours of compulsory education provided for in Outline Timetables for secondary schools will not change.

The number of hours of the subject History and the Present will be 3 hours in general secondary schools and technical secondary schools, instead of the current 2 hours for the subject Civic Education (at basic level). The number of hours of subject History at the basic level will change from the current 8 to 7.

Laboratories of the Future

15 September 2021

3D printers, microcontrollers, robots, recording equipment and other modern equipment will soon appear in all Polish schools. The largest government investment in modernising education in history has been launched - "Laboratories of the Future". The programme implements one of the postulates of the "Polish Deal" (Polski Ład) and is financed from the COVID-19 Fund.

The initiative announced today envisages that, later this year, local governments running around 12,000 primary schools across Poland will receive funding to purchase modern tools to support the discovery of talents and the development of competencies of the future - such as cooperation, interdisciplinarity, creativity and problem solving. To support schools, the Government will allocate a total of more than PLN 1 billion - first for schools run by local governments, and then also for non-public schools.

Support for more than 3 million pupils 

The support will be granted depending on the size of schools - their leading bodies may receive up to:

• PLN 30,000 - for schools up to 100 pupils (5168 schools with 292,457 pupils)
• PLN 60,000 - for schools with 101-200 students (3492 schools with 495,017 pupils)
• PLN 70,000 - for schools with 201 to 234 pupils (659 schools with 142,467 pupils)
• PLN 300 per pupil - for schools with 235 or more pupils (4,678 schools with 2,131,451 pupils)

This means that all schools in Poland will receive at least PLN 300 per pupil. Smaller schools will receive additional financial support reflecting their needs, in line with the idea of sustainable development. In total, the initiative will benefit over 3 million pupils, studying in almost 15,000 schools. 

Thanks to the Laboratories of the Future, from 1 September 2022, every primary school in Poland will receive modern equipment, including 3D printers, microcontrollers or recording equipment. The obligation for schools to make them available to students will come into force as of the school year 2022/23, but under the Laboratories of the Future, schools will also be able to choose additional equipment - from tools for manual work, through VR goggles, to teaching aids. The catalogue presented for nationwide consultation has 136 items, but can be supplemented if sufficient demand is reported.

Inauguration of the Council for information and communication technologies in education and higher education and science systems

18 August 2021

On 18 August 2021, the first meeting of the Council for Information and Communication Technologies in Education and Higher Education and Science Systems was held.

Main tasks of the Council

• Supporting the Minister of Education and Science in the implementation of digital technologies in the educational systems and higher education and science;
• Providing recommendations to the Minister of Education and Science on activities in the educational systems and higher education and science related to the development of information society and knowledge-based economy in Poland;
• Initiating activities in the field of information technology education, media education and applications of information and communication technologies used in education systems;
• Initiating activities in the field of improving the quality of education in the educational systems, higher education and science with the use of information and communication technology tools.

The Council’s first task will be to urgently develop recommendations for the use of digital competences acquired by teachers, pupils and students during distance learning.

Possibility to increase the number of hours of supporting classes - amendment of the regulation

21 July 2021

On the initiative of the Minister of Education and Science, more children will be able to benefit from additional supportive activities.

The most important changes introduced in the new legislation are:

• the possibility to increase the number of hours of supporting classes (from 10 to 15 hours per school division);
• doubling the limit of weekly number of hours of supporting classes, which gives schools even more flexibility in organising them;
• making the provisions regarding organisation of supporting classes in Class IV of a primary school more flexible (in the case of a primary school in which the total number of students in Classes IV-VIII is 60 or more, but in Class IV there are fewer than 10 students, supporting classes in a given subject may be organised in a group with at least 5 students).

More information

Strengthening the role of the school superintendent - proposals for change

11 June 2021

The school superintendent is responsible for ensuring that schools and institutions carry out their educational, pedagogical and childcare tasks properly. They are obliged to take care of the quality of education, as well as to study and evaluate it. For this purpose, they have a specific unit and tools. Therefore, it is important to create such provisions that, when decisions are made at the local level, the superintendent can be given a significant voice in the most important issues concerning the functioning of schools and institutions.

All pupils must be provided with the best possible educational, pedagogical and childcare conditions. That is why it is essential that the head of the school or institution is a person who guarantees the proper implementation of the entrusted tasks. It is also important that they ensure, through their knowledge, experience and attitude, the best functioning and work organisation of the school or institution they manage. The Ministry proposes that the school superintendent, as the authority in charge of pedagogical supervision, should have a greater influence on the appointment, as well as a significant say in the dismissal or suspension of the head of the school or institution in the event of finding deficiencies related to threats to the safety of pupils during classes organised by the school.

Parents should have the right to decide on their child's participation in activities provided by different organisations at school. For this reason, the Ministry proposes the introduction of such a provision whereby the head of a school or institution will be obliged - prior to the commencement of classes conducted by an association or organisation in a school or institution - to obtain detailed information on the plan of activity in the school premises and the outline of the classes and materials used, as well as to obtain a positive opinion from the school superintendent for the activities of such an organisation in the school or institution. Once this has been obtained, the head of the school or institution will be required to provide an adult pupil or the parents of a minor pupil with detailed information on the aims and content of the programme of activities carried out, as well as the materials for the activities, before they begin. In addition, a pupil’s participation in the activity will require the written consent of the parents of a minor pupil or the written consent of an adult pupil.

The proposed solutions grant greater authority to the school superintendent than before. Local self-government will continue to perform public tasks in the field of public education to the extent not reserved by the acts of law for a public administration body such as the school superintendent.

Proposals for change.

The "Forest School with Climate" programme is launched

10 June 2021

Increasing pro-environmental awareness among children through the implementation of educational classes outdoors and conducting activities dedicated to natural environment protection – these are the main objectives of the "Forest School with Climate" programme.

"Forest School with Climate" is a collaborative programme developed by the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Ministry of Education and Science that aims to inspire students and teachers to take environmentally-friendly actions. The State Forests governmental organisation is also involved in the programme, preparing trails for outdoor games, organising lectures, and more.

The activities provided under the programme are tailored to each season of the year. For the upcoming summer, a series of classes has been prepared, during which children will learn, amongst other things: how to use the forest wisely and not get lost in it, what trails are in the forests and why do foresters mark them, whether it is allowed to spend the night in the forest, which plants are allowed to pick and which should not be touched, as well how to behave in the event of encountering wild animals.

Forest fire protection is another important summer topic that will be addressed. During field activities, children will see water drawing points, learn how the Alarm and Dispatch Points in Forest districts function and what is the purpose of fire lookouts.

Through the implementation of outdoor group activities, the programme will also support the development of interpersonal learning, teamwork and communication skills, as well as logical thinking, creativity, and self-reliance.

Supporting classes for pupils - complete regulations

28 May 2021

Local authorities will receive funds from the educational subsidy reserve for the implementation of supporting classes for willing learners. The President of the Republic of Poland signed the bill on the matter today, and the regulation has also been issued. This allows schools to organise activities from 31 May. Those institutions that do not decide to provide additional lessons before the summer break will be able to do so from September.

The supporting classes are designed to consolidate knowledge and skills from selected compulsory educational classes in general education. They are intended for learners in classes IV-VIII of primary and secondary schools, and will be conducted exclusively on school premises. Classes are open to all students who wish to participate.

The school head, in consultation with the teachers, determines which subjects are to be taught. Classes may be conducted in public and non-public primary and secondary schools, including special schools and art schools providing general education.

Classes will be organised: 

• exclusively within the scope of compulsory general education activities included in the framework teaching plans for a given type of school; 
• for groups of not less than 10 learners (in the case of small primary schools - not less than 5 learners). 

As many as approx. 3.4 million pupils may benefit from the classes, for which PLN 187 million has been allocated. The financing is provided through increasing the general subsidy educational reserve.

Detailed regulations on the organisation of classes, deadlines for the transfer and settlement of subsidies, application templates and settlement forms are laid down in the regulation of the Ministry of Education and Science. 

IT Talent Development Programme 2019-2029

24 May 2021

The IT Talent Development Programme, running from 2019, aims to improve the advanced digital skills of young people - through supporting development in the fields of algorithmics, programming and video game design. Participants in the programme – young people of exceptional talent – improve their advanced digital skills, which are highly sought after in the job market.

The programme is mainly aimed at pupils and students. Additional activities - also at teachers and lecturers supervising them. The total funding pool is PLN 10 million.

Assistance projects are to be implemented in the following areas:

• Algorithmics and Programming Championships - students.

Support should go to 50 student teams, as well as the lecturers supervising them (1 to 3 persons). Students who are part of individual teams will improve their competences in algorithmics and programming, for example through: participating in classes taught by academic authorities in the field of computer science, taking part in educational initiatives dedicated to the development of digital skills, or completing tasks in computer science and mathematics in the form of cross-team gamification.

• Video Game Design Championship - Students.
• Video Game Design Championship - Pupils.

Support should go to a minimum of 25 pupil teams from secondary schools or 25 student teams, as well as the teachers supervising them (1 to 3 teachers per team). Participation in the project will develop skills such as game story design, programming, image and sound processing techniques, computer graphics design, etc.

Non-governmental organisations involved in the development of the IT community in Poland are invited to submit their proposals.

Time table for the return to class-based learning in schools

29 April 2021

According to the time table announced by the Ministry of Education and Science:

• Starting on 4 May 2021 pupils in grades I-III of primary schools return to class- based learning in all schools in the country.
• Starting on 17 May 2021  pupils in grades  IV-VIII of primary schools, in post-primary schools, and learners in continuing and vocational education centres start learning on hybrid basis (50% in class 50% online). 
• Starting on 31 May all pupils and learners will follow class based learning in schools and other educational settings.  

Legal basis

Regulation by the Minister of Education and Science of 29 April 2021 on temporary limitations to the functioning of educational settings in the light of preventing and combating the Covid-19 pandemic.   

Rules for organising and conducting external examinations in 2021-2023

21 April 2021

Conducting external examinations in 2022 on the same basis as the examinations in 2021, and abandoning the threshold for passing the Matura examination at the advanced level in one additional subject in 2023 - these are the most important solutions announced by the Minister of Education and Science.

In 2022, external examinations will be administered largely under the same rules as in 2021.

For the 2022 eighth-grade examination this means that: students will take an examination in three subjects, i.e. Polish language, mathematics and a selected modern foreign language; there will be no additional subject examination (this examination will be held for the first time in 2024)

Further information

Temporary return to online teaching

18 March 2021, 9 April 2021

All pupils in primary schools follow classes online (up to 11 April, prolonged up to 18 April). This approach applies also to sports schools.

Psychological and pedagogical support programme for students and teachers in the pandemic

Reform status: pilot project, 11 March 2021

In April 2021, the Ministry of Education and Science plans to launch a pilot action leading to the development of a specific model for responding to a crisis situation, suitable for work with both an individual student and the whole class. PLN 15 million has been allocated for this purpose in 2021.

A group of researchers invited to carry out this project will conduct a professional diagnosis in schools. Experts will identify problems that students report emerging, they will focus in particular on children and young people with special educational needs. As a result, a model of support to students who are struggling with mental difficulties will be developed.

The researchers will prepare training and materials to help teachers and school specialists, i.e. psychologists and pedagogues, to support students in coping with crisis situations. As part of the training and consultations, experts will present effective methods for working with students experiencing difficulties, and will support teachers in overcoming the negative effects of the pandemic. Students can count on preventive measures and integration activities in classrooms to rebuild peer relations.

Parents are also invited to join the programme, they will learn from consultations e.g. how to help their child cope with the negative effects of distance learning, how to recognise crisis situations and how to deal with them.

In addition to the diagnosis and the development of a specific model of action, in the framework of the programme students will also be able to get individual and group psychological support.

Over 100 000 hours to help students

As part of the initial activities, expert teams will develop survey tools that will be based on questionnaires containing questions in the area of students' functioning at school during the pandemic. Issues raised will include emotional difficulties, coping with long hours in front of a computer screen, peer relationships and risky behaviour.

Researchers will select 1,200 educational institutions from among all primary and secondary schools to be invited to participate in the programme. In each of the institutions a school diagnosis will be conducted. Its results will be used by the school to prepare a detailed educational and preventive programme, and by the experts to develop a model for helping students.

In a given school, three groups of students will be identified in the survey:

• a group with severe psychological problems: the group will receive psychological support and monitoring;
• a group with a moderate risk of problem behaviour: the group will be offered opportunity to participate in early intervention psychological programmes aimed at supporting adaptation and developmental difficulties and will be subject to preventive measures;
• a group with a mild risk of problem behaviour: the group will participate in educational activities and general prevention measures aimed at strengthening students’ capacity and skills to learn and function in difficult learning conditions.

More than 100,000 hours of psychological support are planned for the children and young people participating in the programme so that every student of the school participating in the programme could be able to receive adequate professional support.

10 000 hours of training for teachers

As part of the training and consultations, teachers will learn to identify precisely symptoms of alarming problems that their students might reveal. They will learn, among other things, how to support pupils with high vulnerability, they will also learn methods for: risk prevention and correction, crisis intervention, educational intervention, working with a group, securing digital safety. Also teachers who face various difficulties while teaching online will receive support.

The results of the programme will support all schools

This year's research will cover a specific number of schools, but its effects will be communicated to all schools. Thanks to the diagnosis, experts will describe problems and develop a ready-made model of support intervention and, most importantly, they will indicate what action needs to be taken in a crisis situation. The effects of the pilot programme in the form of ready-made materials will be available free of charge for every teacher on a platform prepared by the Ministry of Education and Science.

The Ministry is also planning further activities in the field of student health care including e.g. vision problems/ eye diseases (in March).

https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja-i-nauka/program-wsparcia-psychologiczno-pedagogicznego-dla-uczniow-i-nauczycieli-w-pandemii

Teenage depression educational campaign do not let the child log out of life

22 February 2021

The 15th edition of national educational campaign has been organised by the Forum Against Depression. The campaign Teenage depression. Life online/offline   do not let the child log out of life includes a series of free online training for teachers and an open day with lectures and free consultations with a psychiatrist offered online. The Minister of Education and Science has become a patron of the free online training for teachers.

Education for all – a comprehensive support for every child, pupil and their family

Reform status: proposal, 10 February 2021

The Ministry of Education and Science is working on a new and better formula to support children, pupils - especially those with disabilities - and their families.

3 objectives

1. To create an interdepartmental system of activities for children, pupils and their families,
2. To guarantee an access to psychological and pedagogical support for children and pupils on the premises of schools and institutions,
3. To improve the quality of education for all pupils, including those with disabilities.

Child and Family Centres

Inter-ministerial institutions - Child and Family Centres (CDR) - will be established in each district. The main task of the Centres will be to diagnose the needs of the child and to prepare support for the child and their family.

Psychological and pedagogical assistance  

Every child and pupil must be guaranteed psychological and pedagogical assistance on the premises of the school and institution, which will be adapted to their needs. Specialists in psychological and pedagogical assistance must be present in Polish schools.

In September 2021, a pilot action of establishing Specialised Centres for Inclusive Education at special schools and institutions will start.

Classroom based teaching for the youngest children as of 1 February, on-line teaching for students of other classes - the regulation has been signed

Reform status: approved, 28 January 2021

Pupils of classes I-III of primary schools and children in pre-school education continue stationary education with the principles of the sanitary regime, set out in the guidelines of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Health and the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.

Pupils in classes IV-VIII of primary schools for children and young people, primary schools for adults, secondary schools, continuing education institutions, vocational training centres, remedial and educational centres, children's holiday homes and school youth hostels will continue to study remotely until 14 February this year, with the exceptions of vocational training.

Other changes introduced by the regulation

Organisation of remote classes at school for students

As of 1 February, the headmaster will be obliged to continue organising classes for remote classes for students in classes IV-VIII and secondary schools who, due to the type of disability, cannot study at home.

For students who, for other reasons, cannot study remotely at home, the headmaster may organise such classes at school.

Consultations for those taking examinations

School heads may still organise individual or small group consultations for students in the eighth and final grades.

Possibility of conducting so-called mock exams in schools

It will be possible, within the framework of consultations with teachers, to organize at schools the tests to check the level of preparation of students for the eighth-grade exam or the matriculation exam, the so-called trial exams. This solution was introduced at the request of school heads.

In addition, with regard to schools and institutions providing vocational education, the solutions allowing for practical training to be conducted under a sanitary regime in specific organisational conditions have been retained.

The regulation entered into force on 1 February 2021.

Legal basis

Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 28 January 2021 amending the regulation on temporary restrictions on the functioning of units of the educational system in connection with preventing, counteracting and combating COVID-19

Pupils back at school - guidelines for grades I-III

Reform status: approved, 18 January 2021

From 18 January pupils of classes I-III of primary schools, as well as pupils of special schools return to stationary education under strict sanitary regime. The guidelines for schools have been prepared by the Ministry of Education and Science, in cooperation with the Chief Sanitary Inspector and the Ministry of Health.

The rules developed are primarily aimed at increasing safety. The guidelines are largely based on the provisions already known for example from September 2020. They include recommendations concerning the principles of organisation of classes, hygiene, cleaning and disinfection of rooms and surfaces, organisation of catering or handling of suspected infections among school employees.

Pupils in classes IV-VIII of primary schools, secondary schools, continuing education institutions and vocational training centres will continue to learn remotely, with exceptions for vocational training.

Remote learning on school premises for students in need of support

The head of the school is still obliged to organise classes at school or enable students who cannot study at home (due to the type of disability or other important reasons) to carry out distance learning at school (applies to mainstream and inclusive primary schools and secondary schools)

Day-care facilities for the youngest pupils

The heads of the schools, including art schools, in which general education is provided within the scope of core curriculum, are obliged to provide childcare services for students in grades I-III.