Skip to main content
European Commission logo

Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Quality assurance in adult education and training

Poland

11.Quality assurance

11.3Quality assurance in adult education and training

Last update: 27 November 2023

Adult education is provided by:

  • school for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools (which take adults but are not classified as schools for adults), and continuing education and vocational training centres (which provide education and training in non-school settings), all of them operating within the school education system; and
  • entities operating outside the school education system: entities providing education and training in accordance with the legislation on economic activity, and so-called labour market institutions providing education and training (mainly public and non-public training institutions listed on the Register of Training Institutions) in accordance with the legislation on employment and the labour market.

Different quality assurance arrangements are in place in these two 'sub-sectors' of adult education.

Schools and other adult education institutions within the school education system are governed by the legislation on school education. The aims, arrangements and recent reforms in the area of external and internal quality assurance in these types of schools and institutions are the same as in school education for children and young people (see Chapter 11.1 “Early Childhood and School Education”). The only additional arrangement in the adult education sector is that institutions other than schools may apply on a voluntary basis for accreditation of continuing education programmes to the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REA) (kurator oświaty) (see “Approaches and Methods of Quality Assurance in Adult Education and Training” below).

There are no national regulations or recommendations setting aims or laying down quality assurance arrangements for entities which provide adult or continuing education in non-school settings outside the school education system, as part of economic activity or labour-market training activity. Such providers are not subject to pedagogical supervision exercised by the Heads of the REAs and, thus, do not undergo external inspections conducted by the REAs. They can design independently their internal quality assurance approaches.

However, like adult education institutions other than schools within the school education system, entities operating outside the school education system can voluntarily apply to the Head of the REA for the accreditation of specific types of continuing education programmes. The provisions of the Act on the Value Added Tax serve as a financial incentive for such providers to apply for accreditation as accredited education and training programmes are exempt from the VAT. Thus, accredited providers can reduce costs and increase their competitiveness on the education and training market.

Responsible bodies

In the case of schools for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools, and institutions providing adult education in non-school settings within the school education system, the responsible bodies are the same as in school education; see Chapter 11.1 Quality Assurance in Early Childhood and School Education.

There are no external quality assurance bodies for entities providing adult education as part of their economic activity or labour-market training activities. Such entities may autonomously establish bodies responsible for internal quality assurance in accordance with their internal regulations.

Regardless of that, the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REAs) (kurator oświaty) is the body that grants accreditation to institutions within and outside the school education which provide continuing education in non-school settings. The Head of the REA is not independent from the national authorities. The REAs are a unit of government administration at the province level, and their head is appointed and dismissed by the Minister of Education and Science at the request of the governor of a given province (who is the head of the government administration body at province level) (for details, see Chapter 11.1).

The Head of the REA appoints an accreditation panel, provides administrative support to the panel and takes a decision to grant or refuse accreditation at the end of the accreditation process. An accreditation decision is based mainly on an evaluation carried out by a panel. Additionally, however, in the case of institutions providing continuing education in non-school settings within the school education system, the Head of the REA also takes into consideration findings from pedagogical supervision which includes, among other things, external inspections (for details on inspections, see Chapter 11.1.2 ““Early Childhood and School Education: Approaches and methods for quality assurance”).

 

 

Approaches and methods of quality assurance

For schools for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools, and institutions providing continuing education in non-school settings within the school education system, external and internal quality assurance approaches are the same as for school education. The same arrangements are in place for external and internal pedagogical supervision (including inspections), teacher evaluation and performance appraisal of heads of schools and other educational institutions. See Chapter 11.1 “Quality Assurance in Early Childhood and School Education”.

There are no quality assurance regulations for entities providing adult / continuing education in non-school settings outside the school education system, as part of their economic activity or labour-market training activities. They are not subject to external pedagogical supervision, including inspections, which covers only the school education system, and adopt independently their internal quality assurance arrangements.

As explained in the previous sections, both institutions other than schools within the school education system and entities operating outside the system, which provide continuing education in non-school settings, may apply on a voluntary basis for accreditation awarded by the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REA).

Accreditation of continuing education in non-school settings

Accreditation arrangements for institutions and entities operating within and outside the school education system which provide continuing education in non-school settings are laid down in the legislation. Accreditation confirms that the course or programme concerned complies with specific requirements and quality standards.

Accreditation can be granted to the following five types of courses or programmes: a vocational qualification course; vocational skills course; general competences course; theoretical training programme for juvenile workers; and any other course providing knowledge, developing vocational skills or upgrading vocational qualifications. Institutions operating within the school education system can provide any of the five types of programmes, and entities operating outside the school education system can offer only vocational qualification courses.

Accreditation can be granted to institutions or entities which:

  • have provided education or training in non-school settings for at least 3 years (entities operating outside the school education system can apply for accreditation in case they have provided for at least 3 years vocational qualification courses or vocational education programmes in non-school settings for the occupation(s) included in the classification of vocational education occupations);
  • have in place an internal quality assurance system and regularly improve the system;
  • provide teaching or training and learning facilities and resources;
  • have qualified staff;
  • implement curricula, as laid down by law, for a given type of education or training programme;
  • provide conditions for practical vocational training (this is applicable to the accreditation of vocational qualification courses and vocational skills courses);
  • ensure safety and hygiene for the provision of a given type of education or training programme;
  • provide learning resources or materials to learners.

Evaluation is conducted by an accreditation panel appointed by the Head of the REA. The panel consists of:

  • two representatives of the Head of the REA, appointed from among REA staff, with one of them chairing the panel;
  • one representative of the regional labour office (for accreditation to be granted to a public adult education institution administered by district authorities) or the district labour office (for other types of institutions or entities);
  • one representative of employers’ organisations selected by the Head of the REA from among candidates proposed by employers’ organisations.

At the request of the chair of the panel, the Head of the REA may also appoint an expert in a given field as a member of the panel.

The legislation lays down the procedure for accreditation. An accreditation panel analyses the application and supporting documents (the founding act, the statutes, a self-evaluation report), conducts a visit to the sites where education or training is provided, and prepares a report which is submitted to the Head of the REA.

The self-evaluation of the institution or entity and the evaluation conducted by the accreditation panel address the following aspects or criteria, described in greater detail in the legislation:

  • experience in continuing education in non-school settings: education or training provided for at least 3 years;
  • internal quality assurance system: an internal quality assurance system; innovative curricular, methodological and organisational approaches; quality monitoring tools, quality improvement mechanisms and quality evaluation tools; use of evaluation findings in redesigning curricula and organisational arrangements for education or training;
  • teaching or training and learning facilities: premises, teaching or training and learning resources; library;
  • teaching or training staff: qualifications, appraisal and continuing professional development; 
  • curricula, teaching or learning resources and conditions for education or training: the institution’s or entity’s own and other curricula and their compliance with the legislation; use of ICT; curriculum components (including entrance requirements for learners; aims of education or training; description of learning outcomes; course load; timetable; reading list; learner assessment methods); the institution’s or entity’s own and other teaching or  training materials; conditions for practical vocational training; safety and hygiene conditions for education or training;
  • documentation: arrangements for keeping education- or training-related documentation.

The Head of the REA grants or refuses accreditation based on the evaluation conducted by the accreditation panel. In the case of institutions within the school education system, the Head of the REA also takes into account findings from pedagogical supervision, including external inspections (see the introductory section to Chapter 11 and more detailed information in Chapter 11.1 “Quality Assurance in Early Childhood and School Education”). Accreditation is awarded for 5 years.

Where it is found that an accredited provider no longer fulfils the accreditation requirements, the Head of the REA instructs the provider to eliminate the shortcomings identified and may also instruct the provider to carry out a self-evaluation. If shortcomings are not eliminated within the specified timeframe, the Head of the REA may withdraw accreditation.