Global and intercultural dimension in curriculum development

Nursery, primary and post-primary schools (except for international schools and classes) develop curricula in accordance with the core curricula established by Regulations of the Minister of Education and Science (until January 2021, the Minister of National Education). The core curricula include contents which introduce the international dimension into education (see below).

The legislation on school education (School Education Act of 7 September 1991, as subsequently amended / Ustawa o systemie oświaty z 7 września 1991 r. , z późn. zm.; Law on School Education of 14 December 2016, as subsequently amended / Ustawa – Prawo oświatowe z 14 grudnia 2016 r., z póżn. zm.) provide for the establishment of bilingual classes in public and non-public schools, and of public and non-public bilingual schools. Curricula in bilingual classes and schools are based on the same core curriculum as non-bilingual classes or schools. However, bilingual schools and classes should teach bilingually, in Polish and a modern foreign language, at least two types of classes / two subjects, except for the Polish language and the history and geography of Poland. At least one of the classes / subjects for bilingual teaching should be chosen from among biology, chemistry, physics, general geography, world history and mathematics.

The legislation also provides for the establishment of international classes in public and non-public schools, and of non-public international schools. Curricula for international classes and schools are established by foreign educational institutions, and a foreign language can be the language of instruction. The only exception is the teaching of the Polish language and the history and geography of Poland for pupils who are Polish nationals; such classes / subjects are taught in accordance with the Polish core curriculum and in the Polish language.

There are no national programmes, projects or initiatives fostering the teaching or learning a foreign language outside school curricula or within the framework of transnational learning mobility or partnerships.

Core curriculum: Preschool Education and Primary Education

Curricular contents and the knowledge and skills which should be covered by curricula for early childhood and primary education are laid down in the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 14 February 2017 on the core curricula for preschool education and for general education in primary schools, including for pupils with mild and severe intellectual disabilities, for general education in stage I sectoral vocational schools, general education in special schools preparing for employment, and general education in post-secondary schools (as subsequently amended) (Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 14 lutego 2017 r. 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 (z późn. zm.)). The main core curriculum contents addressing the European, global or intercultural dimension are outlined below.

Preschool Education

The core curriculum states that children completing preschool education should know the name of their own country and its capital, recognise national symbols (emblem, flag and anthem) and should be aware that Poland is a member state of the European Union (EU).

Compulsory foreign language learning was introduced as part of the core curriculum in preschool education for 5-year-olds in 2014/2015 and gradually extended for other age groups in the next years, Since 1 September 2017, all preschool age groups have learnt a foreign language.

Primary Education (8 grades: I to VIII)

Curricular contents and educational activities related to the European or international dimension of education are included at both stages of primary education: in Grades I to III and IV to VIII. Foreign language learning is part of the core curriculum for both stages: one modern language in Grades I to III and two languages in Grades IV to VIII. Additionally, pupils who choose to learn a national or ethnic minority language, with elements of culture and literature, can do so at both primary school stages.

Grades I to III (early school education)

Activities aim to cater to pupils’ need to learn about cultures of other nations, including EU countries, and games and customs of children in other countries, and are adjusted to their ability to perceive and understand such issues. Pupils completing this stage of education can give examples of social groups established by agreements, for example, associations of big social groups such as cities, states or the European Union. Pupils respect customs and traditions of different social groups and nations; and present and compare customs and traditions, including, for example, those cultivated on public or religious holidays in other countries.

Grades IV to VIII

As part of the subject Polish Language, pupils are introduced to the traditions of national, European and world cultures by reading texts which are representative of various epochs.

As part of the subject History, aside from history of Poland, pupils learn, starting in Grade V, for example, history of Europe and the world from ancient to contemporary times. Classes in most recent history cover, in particular, the position of Poland in the world, for example, in NATO and the EU. 

The subject Civic Education comprises thematic sections ‘Human rights’, ‘National / ethnic communities and homeland’ and ‘International affairs’.

As part of the section ‘Human Rights’, pupils analyse and discuss, for example, the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, children’ rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and present the aims of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).  

As part of the section ‘National / ethnic communities and homeland’, pupils argue that it is possible to reconcile various socio-cultural identities (regional, national, ethnic, state, civic, European); recognise forms and expressions of xenophobia, including racism, chauvinism and antisemitism, and argue for the need to counteract them.

Curricular contents of the ‘International affairs’ section include, for example, the aims and activities of the European Union, the United Nations Organisation and the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); main benefits of Poland’s EU membership for employees and travellers; the use of EU funds at the local level; selected social problems of the contemporary world, and possible ways of improving living conditions of other people in the world.

Core curriculum: Secondary Education

General secondary school and technical secondary school

Curricular contents and the knowledge and skills that should be covered by curricula are 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.)).

As part of the school education reform initiated in 2016/2017 (see Chapters 6 and 14), slightly different core curricula have been in place since the school year 2022/2023, depending on the school year in which pupils start(ed) education in a general or technical secondary school:

• the core curriculum (established in 2018 and revised between 2020 and 2023) to be in place for the school years 2022/2023 – 2025/2026: for pupils who were enrolled in Grade I of a general or technical school before 1 September 2022;
• the core curriculum (established in 2018 and revised between 2020 and 2023) that has been in place since the school year 2022/2023: for pupils who were enrolled in Grade I of a general or technical secondary school on 1 September 2022 and are enrolled in the subsequent years.

Key elements of the core curricula addressing the European, global or intercultural dimension are outlined below.

Core curriculum contents common to all pupils regardless of the year of enrolment in a general or technical secondary school

Regardless of the school year of enrolment, pupils follow the same core curriculum for several subjects, including the Polish Language, a foreign language, Latin and Classical Antiquity Culture, Philosophy, History of Art, History of Music, and History of Dance (the subject to be introduced on 1 September 2023).

As part of the subject Polish language, taught at the basic and advanced levels, pupils read and discuss classic and contemporary literary works of European and world authors. The core curriculum includes two modern foreign languages, taught at the basic and advanced levels in both types of schools. The subject Latin and Classical Antiquity Culture, introduced on 1 September 2020 and taught at the basic and advanced levels, includes not only language learning but also the history and culture of ancient Greece and Rome.  

The core curriculum for Philosophy covers ancient Mediterranean philosophy as a key element of European culture and identity. At the advanced level, pupils also learn about the achievements of outstanding European philosophers since the classical antiquity period.

As part of the subjects History of Art and History of Music, and History of Dance (as from 1 September 2023), taught only at the advanced level, pupils study history of European and world art, music or dance (styles, schools and forms, artists and their works) from the antiquity period to the 21^st century.

Contents of the subject History, taught at the basic and advanced levels, differ only slightly in the core curricula depending on the year of pupil enrolment. However, in both cases, the core curriculum covers, for example: history of the ancient world; history and culture of Europe in the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods; topics in modern history (for example, two World Wars and their impact; economic, social and civilisation changes and new ideologies in the 20^th century; rise and spread of totalitarianisms; decolonisation; integration and new conflicts; the world at the turn of the 20^th and 21^st centuries); and Poland’s role in the world (for example, cultural, political, social and economic changes in Poland in the second decade of the 21^st century, with special regard to the demographic crisis, the issue of preserving cultural identity, changes occurring in the EU, energy transition and debates on climate change).

As from the school year 2023/2024, as part of the new subject Business and Management, taught at the advanced level, pupils will learn, for example, how to obtain and analyse data and economic forecasts for Poland and the EU and take informed decisions. They will also discuss issues such as freedom of economic activity in the EU and economic consequences of the EU internal market, including monetary integration within the eurozone.

Core curriculum contents for pupils enrolled in a general or technical secondary school before 1 September 2022

The core curriculum includes the subject Civic Education taught at the basic and advanced levels.

Two of the thematic sections at the basic level are devoted to ‘Human rights and their protection’ and ‘Contemporary international relations’. As part of the ‘Human rights and their protection’ section, pupils discuss, for example, the importance of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the context of the European Court of Human Rights; the rights of national and ethnic minorities; and differences in the perception of human rights in a democratic and non-democratic country.

The contents of the ‘Contemporary international relations’ section include, for example, entities and principles of international law; globalisation, its forms and implications; ethnic conflicts in EU Member States; contemporary terrorism; primary legislative acts of the EU, main EU institutions, the rights of an EU citizen, and  benefits and costs of Poland’s EU membership; and main bodies and activities of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

The subject Civic Education at  the advanced level comprises the following thematic sections within which pupils discuss European, global or intercultural issues, using examples of selected countries in Europe and the world:

• ‘Cultural diversity’: misperception of other cultures analysed on the basis of literature;
• ‘Social structure and social problems’: causes and consequences of a social conflict in a selected country; and specific problems of migration to and within Europe;
•  ‘Ethnic aspects of social life’: multiple levels of national identity: models of policy towards immigrants in European countries; social and cultural specificity of native autochthonous groups in selected regions of the world and various models of policy towards such groups;
• ‘Competition for power’: party systems and functions of elections in democratic and non-democratic countries;
• ‘Governance models’ based on the examples of European, North American and Asian countries: territorial and legal systems in contemporary democratic countries; political systems; mechanisms for the formation of government; powers and role of regional governments;
• ‘Human rights and their international protection’: human rights protection systems of the United Nations, the EU (EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; activities of the European Ombudsman) and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms); role of the International Criminal Court and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; situation of refugees in the contemporary world; activities of non-governmental human rights organisations;
• ‘International order’: types of international orders, and changes in the international order in the 21^st century; globalisation and its impact; separatisms in the context of international law; international and ethnic conflicts in the non-EU part of Europe and other regions of the world; methods of resolving long-term conflicts between nations and countries; humanitarian aid, development cooperation, humanitarian intervention and peace mission; terrorism and strategies for combating terrorism; aims and activities of international, regional and sub-regional organisations and initiatives in the world; main peace and military missions, and the role of NATO.
• ‘European integration’: cultural and historic foundations of European unity; stages of European integration and key provisions of the Treaties on the European Communities and the European Union; legal character of the EU; aims and responsibilities of the EU institutions: EU budget and funds; principles of the eurozone; EU activities in various areas, including selected sectoral policy areas; global role of the EU; arguments on the future of the EU in terms of its structure, responsibilities and membership;
• ‘Education and science’: conditions of access to education in the EU, with examples of selected countries.

Core curriculum contents for pupils enrolled in a general or technical secondary school on 1 September 2022 and in the subsequent years

The core curriculum includes the subject Civic Education, taught only at the advanced level, and a new subject History and Presence, taught only at the basic level.

Subject “Civic Education”

The subject Civic Education includes several thematic sections covering general topics combined with topics relating to Poland (for example, “Man: concepts and aspects”, “Common weal”, “Societies and communities”, “Societies and socialisation”, “Politics and political culture”, “Social communication”), and 4 thematic sections covering European, global or intercultural contents outlined below.

The section “Migrations and demography in Poland and the contemporary world” covers, for example: the concepts of migration, immigration, emigration and repatriation; causes and directions of migration flows in the contemporary world, with special regard to the evolving situation in Europe and the climate crisis; population decline and growth, and the relevance of population growth for development prospects of a country; and global demographic trends.

As part of the section “Law”, pupils learn, for example, about sources of norms and basic principles underlying various legal systems; human rights and their link to the heritage of the Western civilisation; generations of human rights; the exercise of a selected fundamental freedom and the degree of its limitation determined by the rights of other people or public order.

As part of the section “Types of political systems in contemporary states”, pupils discuss different political systems using the examples of selected countries, and the functions of the legislative branch.

The section “Cultural, political and economic changes in the world after 1989” covers topics such as: the Cold War; changes in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of communism; examples of countries governed by the communist ideology after 1989; the New World Order; stages of the European integration;, EU bodies, revenues and expenditure, and funds;  European climate policy and its economic and social implications; China’s global expansion; genocide and its examples in the contemporary world; terrorism; hybrid war and cyberwar.

Subject “History and Presence”

The subject History and Presence is divided into the thematic section “Foundations of social life”, devoted to general topics, and 6 sections “The World and Poland” covering the period from 1945 till the first two decades of the 21^st century. In addition to topics relating to Poland, these 6 sections include European or global contents outlined below.

As part of the section “The World and Poland between 1945 and 1956”, pupils discuss, for example, the following topics: political, social, economic and cultural consequences of World War II for the world; the Cold War and the Iron Curtain; the role of NATO and the Warsaw Treaty Organisation; aims, structure and activities of the United Nations; rights and freedoms in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and the Council of Europe’s European Convention in Human Rights of 1950; political systems in a Soviet state and Western countries; differences in policy agendas between social-democratic, Christian democratic, conservative and liberal governments in Western countries; beginnings of European integration; the communist takeover of power in China in 1949 and its consequences; the establishment of the state of Israel and its consequences for the region and the world, and basic principles of Zionism; and origins and principles of Islamism. 

The section „The World and Poland between 1956 and 1970” covers, for example, the following topics: the Rome Treaties of 1957 and the European Economic Community; decolonisation; resistance of Central European societies to communism; changes in lifestyles in Western countries, and lifestyles in the corresponding period in the countries of the Soviet bloc; principles of social market economy and “the welfare state”; ideas, movements and social and cultural changes (for example, mass culture; the 1968 revolution; Neo-Marxism and the New Left; pacifist movements); changes in the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council; main areas of Cold War confrontation between the powers; wars in the Middle East; and manifestations of the Soviet-Chinese antagonism.

As part of the section “The World and Poland between 1970 and 1980”, pupils discuss changes in the world politics such as the weakened position of the United States in the world; growing influence of the world communist bloc; rapprochement between the US and China; “the detente policy” in international relations; main stages in disarmament agreements between the US and the Soviet Union; the 1975 Helsinki Accords of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe; crucial importance of Willy Brandt’s “Ostpolitik”; ways of Germany’s reckoning with the legacy of the Nazi government; and the importance of electing Cardinal Karol Wojtyła as the Pope.

Curricular contents of the section „The World and Poland between 1980 and 1991” include, for example, changes in the political programmes of Western left- and right-wing parties, and growing popularity of free-market and conservative-liberal programmes (New Right, Neoliberalism); changes in Central and Eastern Europe; main causes of the erosion of the communist system, Mikhail Gorbachev’s “perestroika” programme, and the Autumn of Nations (Revolutions of 1989) in Central and Eastern Europe; main geopolitical changes in Poland’s neighbourhood (reunification of Germany; dissolution of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, and the emergence of independent Baltic States, Ukraine and Belarus); and changes occurring in China after Mao Zedong’s death.

As part of the section “The World and Poland between 1991 and 2001”, pupil discuss, for example, the New World Order; stages of European integration after 1992 (Maastricht Treaty; establishment of the European Union; introduction of the euro currency); causes and consequences of political changes in Africa; globalisation;  global rise of China in the 21^st century; Russia’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy since Vladimir Putin took office, and new forms of Russian imperialism (“gas blackmail”, “hybrid war”, “information war”); terrorism, and the origins and stages of "the war on terrorism”; religious persecutions (against, for example, Christian communities in various regions of the world).

The section “The World and Poland in the first two decades of the 21^st century” covers, for example, cultural changes in the Western world (for example, “political correctness” ideology, multiculturalism, a new definition of human rights, family, marriage and gender) in the context of the Western cultural heritage; differences between tolerance and acceptance of cultural and social phenomena; cultural, social and economic impact of the expansion of the Internet and digital technologies; social communication and the fourth estate; the value of free exchange of views, and new limitations on the freedom of speech in the digital era; and the process of change in the EU after Poland’s accession (stronger position of Germany; crises related to migration, instability of the eurozone, Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic; and systemic and ideological controversies within the EU institutions).

Stage I sectoral vocational school

As part of the school education reform initiated in 2016/2017 (see Chapters 4 to 6 and 14), newly established 3-year stage I sectoral vocational schools trained between 2019/2020 and 2021/2020 both pupils who had finished the pre-reform lower secondary schools and those who had finished the new 8-year primary school (which replaced the 6-year primary school, existing together with the lower secondary school in the pre-reform school education system). The last cohort of lower secondary school graduates completed education in stage I sectoral vocational schools at the end of the school year 2021/2022.

Since the school year 2022/2023, slightly different core curricula have been in place, depending on the school year in which pupils start(ed) education in a stage I sectoral vocational school:

• the core curriculum (established in 2017, revised in 2018 and 2023) to be in place for the school years 2022/2023 – 2024/2025: for pupils who were enrolled in Grade I of a stage I sectoral vocational school before 1 September 2022; 
• the core curriculum (established in 2017, revised in 2018, 2022 and 2023) that has been in place since the school year 2022/2023: for pupils in stage I sectoral vocational schools which started enrolment in Grade I on 1 September 2022 or 1 February 2023, and in higher grades and semesters in the subsequent years.

(Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 14 February 2017 on the core curricula for preschool education and for general education in primary schools, including for pupils with mild and severe intellectual disabilities, for general education in stage I sectoral vocational schools, general education in special schools preparing for employment, and general education in post-secondary schools, as subsequentl amended / Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 14 lutego 2017 r. 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 (z późn. zm.))  

Key elements of the core curricula addressing the European, global or intercultural dimension are outlined below.

Core curriculum contents common to all pupils regardless of the year of enrolment in a stage I sectoral vocational school

The core curricula include one modern foreign language (with three options available: for beginners; for those who continue to learn a given language as the first foreign language; and for those who continue to learn a given language as the second foreign language), and, additionally, a national or ethnic minority language for pupils who choose this subject. The contents for the subject Polish language include several items on the world literature reading list.

As part of the subject History, pupils learn about selected topics, processes and events in the history and culture of Europe and the world. The following thematic sections include contents of European, global or intercultural dimension: Classical antiquity heritage of the European civilisation; Medieval culture circles; Challenges of the early modern period (overseas expansion of the Europeans; religious divisions and wars; Renaissance and Baroque culture);  World War I; Establishment of, and threats to, the Versailles order in Europe; Origins and nature of World War II; Europe and the world in the era of Cold War divisions; Birth of the third Republic of Poland and its position in the world (for example, impact of changes in Poland in 1989 on changes in Central and Eastern Europe; new threats to the international order; regional cooperation via of the Visegrad Group (V4) and the Three Seas Initiative).

Core curriculum contents for pupils enrolled in a stage I sectoral vocational school before 1 September 2022

The thematic section ‘Human rights and protection’ as part of the subject Civic Education covers the importance of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the context of the European Court of Human Rights; the rights of an EU citizen; and examples of human rights violations.  

Core curriculum contents for pupils enrolled in a stage I sectoral vocational school on 1 September 2022 or 1 February 2023 and in the subsequent years

In the school year 2021/2022, the subject Civic Education in the core curriculum was replaced with the subject History and Presence. It is divided into the thematic section „Foundations of social life”, devoted to general topics, and 6 sections “The World and Poland” covering the period from 1945 till the first two decades of the 21^st century. In addition to topics relating to Poland, these 6 sections include European or global contents outlined below.

As part of the section “The World and Poland between 1945 and 1956”, pupils discuss, for example, political, social, economic and cultural consequences of World War II for the world; origins and meaning of the concepts of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain; main stages of European integration till 1957; and Mao Zedong’s regime after the communist takeover of power in China in 1949.

The section “The World and Poland between 1956 and 1970” covers, for example, social and cultural changes referred to as “the 1968 Revolution”; main areas of the confrontation between the world powers during the Cold War period; and the 1968 Prague Spring and the intervention of the Warsaw Treaty armies in Czechoslovakia.

The contents of the section “The World and Poland between 1970 and 1980” include, for example, consequences of the growing communist influence in the world; and the importance of electing Cardinal Karol Wojtyła as the Pope for Poland and the world.

As part of the section “The World and Poland between 1980 and 1991”, pupils discuss the origins and importance of Mikhail Gorbachev’s “perestroika” programme and the Autumn of Nations (Revolutions of 1989) in Central and Eastern Europe.

As part of the section “The World and Poland between 1991 and 2001”, pupils discuss  the subsequent stages of European integration after 1992 (Maastricht Treaty; establishment of the European Union; introduction of the euro currency) and the importance of Poland’s accession to NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004.

The section “The World and Poland in the first two decades of the 21^st century” covers cultural, social and economic impact of the expansion of the Internet and digital technologies; and the process of changes in the European Union after 2004.

Other useful information

Other initiatives related to European and global topics

In 2017, the EC Representation in Poland, under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of National Education (since January 2021, the Ministry of Education and Science) held a contest for a European lesson scenario where participants produced a collection of best scenarios together with supporting materials. The publication (available in Polish only) can be used by teachers for classes on European topics.

Until recently, two national knowledge contests on the European Union were organised in Poland for post-primary school students. Since 2016/2017, under a contract awarded by the Ministry, annual national contests on Poland and the Contemporary World have been organised by the University of Warsaw in collaboration with other higher education institutions. Winners and finalists are exempt from the upper secondary school exam in Civic Education. Various regional contests are organised by regional European information centres, schools, NGOs, the regional education authorities and local authorities.

Partnerships and networks

Polish preschool education institutions and schools establish partnerships and networks mainly under the EU programmes in the field of education and training and the Education Programme of the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism. National funding is available only for youth cooperation or exchange projects. 

EU Programmes

The Erasmus+ Programme (2014-2020; 2021-2027) offers Polish nursery schools, schools and other school education institutions most extensive opportunities for establishing partnerships and networks. The Programme is administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System. As part of projects, partners, for example, build their capacity for international collaboration and / or work jointly to enhance their performance (Cooperation Partnerships and Small-scale Partnerships); carry out various activities aimed at developing labour-market relevant skills (Centres for Vocational Excellence); devise strategies, approaches and innovations for new skills development (Alliances for Innovation); or share information and practices in teaching EU topics (Jean Monnet Networks).

The eTwinning Programme, which promotes the use of ICT in European education and training, supports various forms of collaboration (for example, exchange of information and teaching or learning materials, online courses, seminars and workshops) via electronic media. The Programme is administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System.

The European Solidarity Corps Programme offers young people opportunities for acquiring knowledge, improving skills and developing social competences, and gaining work experience under Volunteering Activities, Traineeships and Jobs, and Solidarity Projects. The Programme is administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System.

Programmes / projects co-funded by the EU and the national budget: see the PO WER and the European Funds for Social Development programmes in chapter 13.1.

Multilateral programmes

European Economic Area Financial Mechanism: Education Programme

The Education Programme (2014-2021; final Call for proposals in 2021; projects lasting up to 2 years) is funded by Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway and administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (the website currently available in Polish only). Within the component ‘Institutional cooperation for the improvement of quality and relevance of education’, schools (and institutions in other formal and non-formal 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. 

Other European initiatives

Poland has been a member country of the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education since 2005. The organisation was founded in 1996 as an international forum for exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of education of pupils with special needs.

Bilateral and national programmes

The Ministry of Education and Science (until January 2021, the Ministry of National Education) provides funding or co-funding for international youth cooperation and exchange projects. Youth exchanges take place with Germany through Polish German Youth Cooperation, with Lithuania within the framework of the Polish-Lithuanian Youth Exchange Fund, and Ukraine as part of the Polish-Ukrainian Youth Exchange Council, and with Eastern Partnership and Western Balkan countries and Israel. See Chapter 13.1.1 “Mobility in early childhood and school education: Pupil Mobility”.