1. Legislation and Policy

1.1. Key Legislation

The 1997 Constitution of the Republic of Poland guarantees the right to education for all, provides for free access to education in public schools and higher education institutions (HEIs), and stipulates that education is compulsory until the age of 18. Public authorities ensure universal and equal access to education and, to this end, provide financial and organisational support to pupils and students. Citizens and institutions have the right to establish schools and HEIs, and parents are free to choose a public or non-public school for their children. The autonomy of HEIs is ensured in accordance with the principles laid down in the relevant Act of Parliament.

The education system is governed by Acts of Parliament and Regulations adopted, in particular, by the Minister of Education and Science (until October 2020, the Minister of National Education, responsible for school education, and the Minister of Science and Higher Education responsible for higher education). The overarching Act on the Integrated Qualifications System (IQS) of 2015 establishes the 8-level Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF), specifies the range of qualifications included in the IQS, and lays down rules for assigning levels to the qualifications awarded and for entering them onto the IQS.

The main Acts concerning school education, which covers all levels from preschool to post-secondary non-tertiary education, are the Law on School Education and the Provisions introducing the Law on School Education of 2016, the School Education Act of 1991 and the Teachers’ Charter of 1982. They regulate key aspects such as: the structure of the school education system; governance and funding; matters related to the organisation of education and curricula; admissions, assessment and certification; support for pupils; education for foreign nationals; and qualification requirements, employment conditions and professional promotion arrangements for teachers. Regulations of the minister responsible for school education lay down detailed arrangements in these areas. They establish, for example, core curricula for general and vocational education; outline timetables for public schools; mechanisms for so-called pedagogical supervision, including external and internal evaluation of educational institutions; and frameworks for pupil assessment and promotion, external examinations, and teacher appraisal.