Poland has successfully developed a model of education with relatively high rates of participation of young people, as compared to EU countries, in education at all of the ISCED 3-7 levels (from general upper secondary education to second-cycle programmes in higher education), and with a large proportion of young people holding at least an upper secondary qualification. Between 2000 and 2014, Poland was among the EU countries with the fastest growing number of young adults in the 30-34 age group holding a higher education qualification. 

Most of the school education tasks at the preschool up to upper secondary school levels were handed over to local authorities at the commune (gmina) or district (powiat) level. This was combined with the expansion of the non-public school education sector, which has very extensive autonomy while benefitting from public funding. The Polish Qualifications Framework, based on the principles underlying the European Qualifications Framework, has been developed and implemented, thus facilitating comparison of learning outcomes between schools and their transfer abroad.

The 1997 Constitution of the Republic of Poland (Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) (Art. 70) grants the right to education to all and, at the same time, provides for the obligation to continue education until the age of 18. The school system that has been established by a recent education reform comprises 8-year primary schools and upper secondary schools with a 4- or 5-year education cycle. Polish education (and, in particular, vocational education) is gradually opening up to non-formal education and continuing education. 

Higher education and research are treated as one system and, in principle, are managed by the ministry in charge of both higher education and science. Currently, this is the responsibility of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Other ministries, which are responsible for specific areas, supervise so-called sectoral higher education institutions. 

The arrangements for the operation of higher education and the conduct of research activity are based on the following principles: 

• It is the obligation of the public authorities to provide optimal conditions for the freedom of scientific research and artistic creation, freedom of teaching and autonomy of the academic community. 

• Every scholar takes responsibility for the quality and reliability of the research conducted and for the education of the young generation. 

• Higher education institutions and other research institutions carry out a mission of particular importance for the state and the nation: they make a key contribution to the innovativeness of the economy, and contribute to the development of culture and moral standards in public life. 

The higher education and research system comprises higher education institutions, federations of higher education and research entities, the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) (Polska Akademia Nauk), PAS research institutes, other research institutes, international research institutes operating in Poland, the Łukasiewicz Centre, institutes of the Łukasiewicz Network, the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (Polska Akademia Umiejętności) and other entities conducting mainly research activity on an independent and continuous basis. The higher education and research system is supported by the National Aency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej); the National Centre for Research and Development (Narodowe Centrum Badań i Rozwoju); the National Science Centre (Narodowe Centrum Nauki); the Medical Research Agency (Agencja Badań Medycznych).