The educational system in Poland is dominated by public schools and includes external examinations at the end of primary and secondary school. Education is compulsory until age 18 and free in public schools. The system is centrally managed by the Ministry of National Education and Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Primary school lasts 8 years and concludes with an examination. Secondary education includes basic vocational, technical, general lyceum, and vocational programs lasting 2-5 years. Higher education takes place at universities and institutes, with bachelor's, master's and doctorate programs available.

1. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN POLAND

2. The education system in Poland has the following specific
features:
• public school sector dominates over private;
• includes a system of external examinations carried out at
the end of primary as well as secondary school;
• grants teachers a unique professional position regulated
by the Teacher’s Charter, pertaining to their employment,
salaries and promotion;
• combines centralized educational policy and governance
(the Minister of National Education and the Minister of
Science and Higher Education) and decentralized
administration of educational institutions (local government
authorities).

3. The Constitution of the Republic of Poland guarantees:
 Every person has the right to education,
 Education is compulsory until the age of 18,
 Education in public schools is free of charge,  Parents are
free to choose schools other than public schools for their
children,
 Public authorities provide citizens with general and equal
access to education.

4. The system of education is centrally managed by two
institutions – the Ministry of National Education and the
Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The former, together
with regional pedagogical superintendents, supervises schools
and kindergartens while higher education is managed centrally
by the Ministry of Science

5. The school year comprises around 180 days, from September to
June, and is divided into two semesters. The compulsory subjects
are in general spread over five weekdays. The legislation defines
the standards for the number of pupils in a class for grades 1-3 of
primary school only, where it is recommended that the number
should not exceed 25. If this number is exceeded an additional
teacher is engaged.

6. At the first educational stage (grades 1-3), the curricula for
integrated teaching apply and one teacher is responsible for all
subjects with the exception of foreign language teaching
(specialist teachers).
For the second stage of primary school there are curricula for
separate subjects and each subject is taught by a specialist
teacher. Core curricula for compulsory teaching are the same for
all pupils and are developed at the central level by experts
appointed by the Ministry of National Education. Teachers may
choose textbooks from the list approved by the Ministry. They
also decide on teaching and assessment methods and may
introduce innovative teaching methods.

7. Duration of compulsory education:
Age of entry: 6
Age of exit: 18
Pre-school
Age level from: 6 to: 7
Compulsory schooling begins at the age of
6 in class zero, where the basics of
reading, writing and arithmetic are
acquired.
Primary school
Length of program in years: 8
Age level from: 7 to: 15
Certificate/diploma awarded: Certificate
of Completion of Primary School
Education
Primary schooling is of 8 years’ duration
and is concluded with an examination at
eighth class of the primary school.

8. Compulsory subjects at particular
educational stages
Stage 1 (grades 1-3, primary school): early
school education, including elements of: the
Polish language, social and natural sciences,
mathematics, technology, modern foreign
language, music and arts, computer science,
physical education.

9. Stage 2 (grades 4-8, primary school):
• Polish language,
• history and civics,
• modern foreign language,
• second modern language (grade 7 and 8)
• mathematics,
• science,
• music/ arts,
• technology,
• computer classes,
• physical education,
• lessons with class tutor.
• physics,
• chemistry,
• biology
• geography,

10. Assessment is carried out on the basis of regular written and
oral tests. The results obtained at the end of each semester
must be approved by the teachers’ council of each school.
Pupils who obtain unsatisfactory results can repeat a year if
the teachers’ council so decides.

11. EXAMS
The external pupil assessment consists of
The 8th-grade test – organized at the end of primary
school; a general, obligatory external examination
based on the core curriculum. It consists of three parts:
Polish language
Foreign language
Mathematics
The results of the examination together with the final
assessment of a pupil’s performance determine
admission secondary schools. All external tests and
examinations are organized by eight regional
examination boards, supported and supervised by the
Central Examination Board.

12. Secondary education
Basic Vocational
Type of school providing this education:
Basic Vocational School
Length of program in years: 3
Age level from: 15 to: 18
Certificate/diploma awarded: Certificate
of Completion of Education in the Basic
Vocational School
Vocational education and training is of 2 -
3 years’ duration, takes place
predominantly in full-time schools and
concludes with an external vocational
examination. Pupils at vocational
schools undergo an apprenticeship in the
dual system, attending parallel
theoretical lessons in state-run
vocational schools.

13. Upper secondary education
Technical Secondary
Type of school providing this education:
Technical Secondary School (Technikum)
Length of program in years: 5
Age level from: 15 to: 19
Certificate/diploma awarded: Maturity
Certificate of the Technical Secondary
School or Certificate of Completion of
Education in the Technical Secondary
School
Pupils attend a 5-year technical specialist
school concluding with the upper
secondary school leaving certificate and a
vocational examination.

14. Upper secondary education
Type of school providing this education:
General Lyceum (Liceum
Ogólnokształcące)
Length of program in years: 4
Age level from: 16 to: 19
Certificate/diploma awarded: Maturity
Cetificate of the General Lyceum
Both the general upper secondary school
and the specialist upper secondary
schools are of 4 years’ duration and
conclude with the upper secondary
school leaving certificate.

15. Upper secondary education
Vocational Secondary
Type of school providing this education:
Specialized Lyceum (Liceum Profilowane)
Length of program in years: 4
Age level from: 15 to: 19
Certificate/diploma awarded: Maturity
Certificate of the Specialized Lyceum
Specialist upper secondary schools
provide broad-based vocational
education and training in 15 profiles.
These include engineering and
technology, the environment and
agricultural technology, services, culture,
transport and forwarding, electro
technology and information
management.

16. Higher education
University
Higher education study may take place at
a university or at an institute of higher
education (Universities of Applied
Sciences). 3 to 4 year vocational courses
of study, concluding with a bachelor
degree, are offered (the universities also
providing such courses.) This may be
followed by a Masters course of study (2
more years). Doctorates are possible at
institutes of higher education, institutes
of the Polish Academy of Sciences and at
research and development institutes.
Institutes are accorded the right to award
doctorates on an individual basis.