Global and intercultural dimension in curriculum development
Like schools for children and young people, primary schools and general secondary schools for adults, and stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools (which are not classified in the legislation as schools for adults but take adult learners) develop curricula based on the core curricula established by the Minister of Education and Science (until January 2021, the Minister of National Education). The core curricula specify curricular contents, knowledge and skills which should be covered by school curricula.
The core curricula for primary and general secondary schools for adults are the same as for schools for children and young people. Like in the case of schools for young people, the core curriculum for general secondary schools for adults established earlier will remain in place in the school years 2022/2023 – 2025/2026 for learners who were enrolled in Semester I of Grade I before 1 September 2022. A slightly different core curriculum for several subjects covering international contents has been in place since the school year 2022/2023 in Semester I of Grade I of secondary schools for adults which started on 1 September 2022 or 1 February 2023, and in higher grades and semesters in the subsequent years. For European, global and intercultural contents included in the core curricula, see Chapter 13.4.
The core curriculum for general education in stage II sectoral vocational schools (for students who have finished a corresponding stage I sectoral vocational school; see curricula for school education) is laid down in the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 30 January 2018 on the core curricula for general education in general secondary schools, technical secondary schools and stage II sectoral vocational schools (as subsequently amended) (Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 30 stycznia 2018 r. w sprawie podstawy programowej kształcenia ogólnego dla liceum ogólnokształcącego, technikum oraz branżowej szkoły II stopnia (z późn. zm.). The core curriculum includes a modern foreign language and contents for the subject Polish language cover several world classics books.
The core curriculum for general education in post-secondary schools does not include any European, global or intercultural contents (it covers only Physical Education for all learner cohorts, and the subject Basics of Entrepreneurship for learners who did not take it at an earlier education stage and were enrolled in a post-secondary school before 1 September 2023).
Adult education in non-school settings is provided by various organisations as part of labour-market training or economic activities (see Chapter 8, Adult Education and Training). Detailed information on the international dimension in adult education in non-school settings is not available. Many adult education providers offer courses on European integration. Various foreign language courses are very popular among adult learners. An increasing number of institutions offer courses of Polish as a foreign language.
Partnerships and networks
There are no national programmes or initiatives supporting institutional cooperation in adult education. Adult education institutions and organisations establish transnational partnerships in projects under the EU Erasmus+ Programme (2014-2020; 2021-2027) and the Education Programme funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.
Within the Erasmus+ Programme, schools for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools and other vocational education and training institutions for adults can participate in Cooperation Partnerships and Small-scale Partnerships, Partnerships for Excellence (Centres for Vocational Excellence) and Partnerships for Innovation (Alliances for Innovation) and Jean Monnet Networks. Institutions providing in-service teacher training can also collaborate with their international partners in Erasmus+ Teacher Academy projects. For brief information about Erasmus+ projects, see ‘Partnerships and networks’ in Chapter 13.4.
The Education Programme (2014-2021; final Call for proposals in 2021; projects lasting up to 2 years) is funded as part the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism by Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway and administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System. Within the component ‘Institutional cooperation for the improvement of quality and relevance of education’, schools for adults and other adult education providers (like institutions in other education sectors) have been awarded grants for the development or updating of curricula, activities supporting the exchange of experience and good practice and joint initiatives (for example, conferences, seminars, education and training events) with partners in the donor countries.