EDUCATION IN POLAND

Poland’s education structure is quite new and was implemented following a 1999 Education Reform Act.

Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of six and 18 years, and it is estimated that 99% of the population is literate.  Primary education starts at age 7 years and is preceded by one year of pre-school.  From the age of 13 years to 16 years, children attend a ‘Gimnazium’.  Secondary education is divided into three types of establishment:  General Lyceum, Vocational Secondary School and Technical Secondary School.  Depending on the course, children attend these schools for between two and four years.

All children learn a foreign language from year 4 in Primary Schools, though in reality many schools start teaching Foreign Languages (usually English) from year 1 and, in some cases, even at pre-school (year 0).