3. Human development in Poland
The change of the index analysed during the years 2007 – 2010 is very interesting and even though growth19 can be observed in all regions, its size takes on various values (see Graph 3.18). The Świętokrzyskie and Warmian-Masurian voivodeship are characterised by a low index level and a small change. On the other hand, the Lesser Poland voivodeship has both a high index level and a very high change in this index. The Mazovian voivodeship which is the country’s leader in terms of ranking, is characterised by medium dynamics when compared to other voivodeships. The voivodeship which is rising fastest in the ranking is the Podkarpacie voivodeship. In 2007, it was ranked 13th, continuously developing throughout the years in comparison to other voivodeship, only to be ranked 9th in 2010. Graph: 3.18 Change in the absolute value of the Education Index (EI) voivodeships from 2007 to 2010 EI in 2007
Change since 2007
70.0 5.1
60.0 50.0
40.0 30.0 20.0
1.7
5.1
5.6
2.2
7.2
5.7
7.4
9.0
3.9
5.6
7.9
4.7
4.8
5.2
9.1
50.7 48.6 44.9 44.6 43.7 47.6 49.1 37.5 36.7 36.7 40.3 39.3 41.4 39.8 39.2
56.6
10.0 0.0
Source: Own study on the basis of the Central Statistical Office and the Central Examination Board data.
Polish voivodeships are complex spatial units with a fairly high level of internal differentiation. That is why it is worth looking at sub-regional spatial units. The county Education Index Map shows spatial differentiation in a both interesting and obvious manner. It is clearly visible that cities (urban counties) and large metropolises (mostly voivodeship capitals) reach a very high level of the index. It can also be seen that the ranking of metropolitan areas of the largest cities is relatively good i.e. Warsaw, Poznan, Cracow, Łódź and Opole. The situation, however, is not so one-sided as , for example, the suburbs of Wrocław had a low ranking. The differences between urban counties and their surrounding are even most striking. For example, the city of Kielce has a very high index level, while its surrounding is characterised by a very low level. The situation is similar in Koszalin, Olsztyn and, to an extent, in Szczecin as well as in Toruń, Płock, Słupsk and other cities (see Map 3.9).
19 In case of this index, the change in its value in particular years may be interpreted only to a certain extent as progress or regress. This is a result of the fact that the mathematical-natural science part of the lower secondary school exam are calculated in relation to the annual national mean and should be considered a change in this difference rather than in progress. The second component of the index is the net pre-school schooling which is a measure of progress. In relation to this, the Education Index shows progress only in the extent to which it is the effect of the growth in pre-school schooling (for further details see the methodological section of this report).
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