 A child aged 3 to 5 may receive pre-primary
education, which is not compulsory, but all the
six year-old children attend either kindergartens
or pre-primary classes attached to primary
schools.
 an obligatory „0” grade at the age of 6
 Public kindergartens are administrated and
financed by local governments – communes.

• Smooth transition from pre-primary to school education.
• Educational activities are conducted according to a flexible
timetable prepared by the teacher, in which the duration
Stage I of lessons and breaks is influenced by the pupil’s activity.
• Teaching is arranged by subjects.
• Polish, History and Civics, Modern foreign
languages, Mathematics, Natural
Stage II science, Music, Art, Technology, Computer
science, Physical Education, Religion/Ethics

Curriculum Leaving
Duration
Certificate
Polish language, Modern
foreign languages,
Three years History, Civic education, Certificate of
(ages 13 to 16) Mathematics,Physics and Completion of
astronomy, Chemistry,
Geography, Biology, Fine
Education in the
art/Music, Computer Gymnasium
Science, Physical
Education and
Technology, lesson with
class tutor

3-year general secondary
school 4-year technical
secondary school
3-year specialised
secondary school
Upper secondary education
covers the age group
16 to18 or 19/20
2-year supplementary general
2 to 3-year basic secondary school
vocational school 3-year supplementary
secondary technical school

 primary school:
external test (set by external examination
commissions and assessed by examiners
selected by these commissions ( April)
 middle school/ lower secondary:
compulsory external examination organized by
the regional examination commission (April)
(Egzamin gimnazjalny)
secondary school:
Matura Exam (May)

 6 – excellent
 5 - very good
 4 – good
 3 - satisfactory,
 2 – acceptable
 1 - unsatisfactory
'+' and '-' are added to the principal grades

 excellent,
 very good,
 good,
 acceptable,
 unacceptable,
 inadmissible
The mark for behaviour (conduct) does not influence subject
marks or promotion to a higher grade or graduation.
However, under specific circumstances the pedagogical
council of the school can decide upon pupil’s repetition of
a given grade or stop his/her graduation from school due
to his/her inadmissible behaviour.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
810-855 English Polish History Biology I.T.
Break 855-
900
900-945 German Physics Maths Religion Lesson with class
tutor
Break 945-
955
955-1040 Polish Biology Polish Maths Maths
Break 1040-
1045
1045-1130 Art P. E. P. E. Polish Civics
Break 1130-
1135
1135-1220 Technology German P. E. Geography History
Break 1220-
1245
1245-1330 Maths Religion Physics German Polish
Break 1330-
1335
1335-1420 English Chemistry
Break 1420-
1425
1425-1510 P. E.

How to become a teacher?
The post of teacher may be taken by a person who
has completed either a higher education course
with appropriate pedagogical preparation or a
course of study in a teacher training
establishment (college).
Any person graduating from a higher education
institution with pedagogical preparation or a
teacher training college is recognised as a
qualified teacher within the specialisation he/she
has completed.

I Novice teacher (a teacher in a junior position who
enters a profession)
II Contract teacher
III Nominated teacher
IV Certified teacher (experienced professional teacher)
V Honorary „professor of education”

 40-hours per week which include:
◦ 20 teaching hours (1hour= 45 minutes)
◦ teaching staff meetings
◦ parent teacher meetings
◦ after-school activities (contests, clubs, performances,
discos, trips)
◦ professional workshops
◦ preparation for the classes (checking homework… etc.)

School year in Poland
1 September 2011 Starting date of students’ school year
Last Friday in June End of students’ school year
Christmas/New Year 1 week
23 – 31 December 2011
Winter break 2 weeks (January – Feruary, depending on the
province)
Spring/Easter 5 – 10 April 2012
Summer 30 June – 29 August

Public/religious holiday
1 November 2011 All Saint’s Day
11 November 2011 Polish Independence Day
6 January 2012 Epiphany
1 May 2012 International Workers’ Day
3 May 2012 Constitution Day
7 June 2012 Corpus Christi
Extra days off
21 October 2011
24 – 26 April - External exams
30 April 2012
2 May 2012
4 May 2012
8 June 2012

Extra days off
up to 8 days for lower secondary
up to 6 days for primary schools; up to 10 days for upper
schools, basic vocational secondary schools) that may be
schools, post-secondary devoted to external tests and
schools, continuous education exams and/or religious festivals
institutions; not being registered as official
public holidays.

Comenius team from Gimnazjum im. Polskich
Olimpijczyków, Poland
October 2011
‘This project has been funded with the support from the European
Comission.This publication reflects the views only of the author, and
the Comission cannot be held responsible for any use which may
be made of the information contained therein