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 centres, vocational training centres and sectoral skills 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: business 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.

Public and non-public schools and other public and non-public 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 public and non-public institutions other than schools may apply on a voluntary basis for accreditation of continuing education courses 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 courses. The provisions of the Act on the Value Added Tax serve as a financial incentive for such providers to apply for accreditation as accredited courses are exempt from the VAT. Thus, 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 or continuing education in non-school settings within the school education system, the responsible bodies are the same as in school education; see Chapter 11.1.1 “Responsible Bodies””.

There are no external quality assurance bodies for entities providing adult or continuing education outside the school education system, as part of their economic activity or labour-market training activities. Such entities may autonomously establish bodies or appoint staff 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 National Education 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 11.1.1).

The Head of the REA appoints an accreditation panel, provides administrative support to the panel and grants or refuses accreditation. 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 “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 11.1.2 “Approaches and Methods for Quality Assurance”.

There are no quality assurance regulations for entities providing adult or 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 approaches.

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 REA.

Accreditation of continuing education in non-school settings

Accreditation arrangements for institutions and entities operating within and outside the school education system 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 types of courses or programmes: 

• vocational qualification courses; 

• vocational skills courses; 

• general competences courses; 

• theoretical training programmes for juvenile workers; 

• sectoral vocational or professional training courses; and

• other courses developing or enhancing vocational knowledge and skills or upgrading vocational qualifications (if they are based on a training programme established by the regulations on the development of professional or vocational knowledge and skills or the retraining for new qualifications). 

Within the school education system, continuing education centres and vocational training centres can provide and obtain accreditation for any type of course or programme listed above, except for sectoral vocational or professional training courses; for sectoral skills centres, these include theoretical training programmes for juvenile workers, sectoral vocational or professional training courses, and other courses as defined above. Entities operating outside the school education system can offer and obtain accreditation only for 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 applies 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 and evaluation tools, and quality improvement mechanisms; 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 page to Chapter 11.1 and more detailed information in Chapter 11.1.2 “Approaches and Methods for Quality Assurance”). Accreditation is awarded for 5 years.

Where it is found that an institution or entity no longer fulfils at least one of the accreditation requirements, the Head of the REA instructs it to eliminate the shortcomings identified and may also instruct it to carry out a self-evaluation. If shortcomings are not eliminated within the specified timeframe, the Head of the REA may withdraw accreditation. Where this is the case, the institution or entity may re-apply for accreditation at least a year after the date of the withdrawal.