Background and policy
Secondary schools in Poland that provide secondary education, i.e. high schools and technical schools, the length varies from 3 to 5 years. Education is compulsory until 18 years old.
Types of facilities
Types of secondary schools:
- 4-year high school (liceum ogólnokształcące) – High schools will prepare for the baccalaureate exam after which one can continue their education at a University. As a rule, high schools offer specialized classes, where one will complete a basic curriculum in all compulsory subjects and an expanded one in several leading subjects of their choosing.
- 5-year technical school (technikum), – technical schools prepare for the baccalaureate exam and a vocational exam (based on additional directional subjects).
- 3-year stage I sectoral vocational school (first level) (branżowa szkoła I stopnia) – vocational school provides the opportunity to quickly acquire a specific profession, such as a chef, hairdresser, auto mechanic, electrician, tailor or other. After graduating from a 3-year vocational school of the first level and passing the vocational exam, one can start their career
- 2-year stage II sectoral vocational school (second level) (branżowa szkoła II stopnia) – after completing Ist level of education at a vocational school, one can enroll into the second level which after graduation allows to take the baccalaureate exam and continue their education at a University
Fees
Public secondary schools are free of charge. In vocational education practical training at an employer means that a vocational students receive a salary for his/her tasks.
Obligation
Compulsory education – the obligation to continue education until the age of 18. Compulsory education can be fulfilled by: attending a secondary school; participating in continuing education classes in non-school forms in accredited institutions; receiving vocational training at an employer.
Enrollment process
A student arriving from abroad is eligible for the appropriate class and is admitted to schools, including secondary schools, based on the documents specified in the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of August 23, 2017. This regulation pertains to the education of individuals who are not Polish citizens and Polish citizens who have received education in schools operating under the educational systems of other countries.
How to enroll a child to school:
- A child may be enrolled in school by a parent, guardian or other person who has custody.
- Collect documents from your child’s previous education (certificates, diplomas, etc.). If you do not have them, write a statement detailing the total years of education completed and the institution the child attended.
- There is no need to translate the documents into Polish.
- Contact the Polish school of your choice and submit an application for admission. The application for your child’s admission to the school can be handwritten or filled out on a form available on the website of the selected school.
- The main enrollment process for secondary schools for the next school year begins in May every year. However, it is possible to enroll in school at any moment during the year, but in that case, it is only based on available spaces.
- The organization of the network of secondary schools is the responsibility of the municipality, which must provide places for the fulfillment of compulsory education for minors living in the county. This includes students arriving from abroad. The network of secondary schools must find the candidate an available place in schools run in the county, without, however, guaranteeing the fulfillment of this obligation in the school chosen by the candidate.
- The enrollment process into grade I in secondary school may vary between municipalities. In some cities, recruitment is digital, and one must register and follow procedures online. Before completing the application, one needs to read the rules, criteria, and recruitment schedule. Recruitment criteria depend on the number of points obtained.
Graduation
Graduation from secondary school ends with a school completion certificate.
In the end of last school year in High School or Technical school (4th year of High School or 5th year of technical school), if the student graduated last grade of secondary school he/she can take a baccalaureate exam (matura):
The baccalaureate exam is conducted on the basis of the requirements of the general education curriculum for secondary school and takes place in the period from May to September, in the main, supplementary and corrective terms.
The results of the baccalaureate exam are the primary criterion for admission to the various fields of higher education.
The baccalaureate exam consists of two parts: compulsory and additional.
In the compulsory part, the graduate takes subjects:
- Polish language (written and oral part);
- modern foreign language (written and oral part),
- mathematics (written part);
- national minority language – for graduates of schools or departments with teaching of the language of a national minority (written and oral part).
Each graduate has the right to take the matriculation exam in no more than 5 of the following additional subjects:
- in the oral part from: ethnic minority language, national minority language, modern foreign language, regional language;
- in the written part from: biology, chemistry, philosophy, physics, geography, history, history of music, history of art, computer science, Latin language and ancient culture, ethnic minority language, national minority language, modern foreign language, Polish language, regional language, mathematics, knowledge of society.
The exam in a modern foreign language is conducted in English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Italian.
For graduates of: vocational schools, technical schools, post-secondary schools there is vocational qualification exam:
- The vocational qualification exam is a form of assessing the level of mastery of person’s knowledge and skills in one qualification of a separate profession, as established in the program basis of education in the profession of vocational training.
- The vocational exam is conducted on the basis of the requirements set forth in the program basis of education in the profession of vocational education.
- The exam consists of two parts: written part – 40 closed tasks duration 60 minutes; the practical part – duration from 120 to 240 minutes, depending on the qualification.