Education and Training Monitor 2024

1. Learning for sustainability

Policies related to learning for sustainability are included in various documents, although there are gaps in policy and implementation. Relevant provisions have formed part of national strategies, legislation and policy documents since 2001 (Ministry of Environment, 2001; iTTi, 2012; Gadomska, 2023). The National Environmental Policy 2030 (MoEnv, 2019) aims to improve ecological education through a systemic approach in a lifelong learning perspective. Learning for sustainability is one of the general objectives of school education¹, but at tertiary level it is not included in any strategic documents. Higher education institutions (HEIs) can sign the Declaration of Social Responsibility (2022)², which would commit them to promoting sustainable development and social responsibility in study programmes and in the management of universities. Non-formal learning, such as initiatives by food banks³ and other NGOs, play an important role in promoting sustainability in schools. However, the lack of a definition and shared understanding of learning for sustainability and associated monitoring mechanisms hamper its implementation and the efficiency of teaching, also at tertiary level (Lulewicz-Sas et al., 2023). The Ministry of Climate and Environment is developing a new strategic action plan for environmental education⁴, to be adopted in 2025.

Polish students’ knowledge of sustainable development is among the best in the EU, although it is significantly determined by parental education. According to the 2022 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) survey, Polish 8th graders’ level of knowledge of sustainable development is high. However, the impact of the parental educational attainment level on students’ scores is among the highest in the EU (125.28 points vs EU 76.26 points)⁵. While primary schools encourage environmentally-friendly behaviour, only around a third (37%) promote it as a civic value, and less than half (46.1%) of students consider environmental protection important for citizenship (Damiani et al., 2024). All sustainability competences are present in secondary curricula in science subjects and citizenship education, and primary curricula cover sustainability values, promoting nature and systems thinking (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2024). However, the topic of sustainability is often omitted in teaching or discussed in a perfunctory manner (Gadomska, 2023). Experts and young people have indicated that increased learning for sustainability and climate education is needed in schools (Batorczak & Klimska, 2020; UNGCNP, 2022). Poland is reviewing core curricula and plans to introduce the curriculum subject ’Civic education’ at upper secondary level in 2025. This provides an opportunity to better embed sustainability competences in school education and achieve more equitable results in the future.

Poland has promoted green apprenticeships in vocational education and training (VET) through reforming exams. Environmental protection tasks were included in exams for over 40 craft occupations, both for initial VET and adults (Levels 3 and 5 of the European Qualifications Framework). These were used in all trade workers and craft masters’ exams. The design of exam green standards was supported by EU co-funded projects: ‘3xenvironment’ (LIFE+) and ‘New quality of vocational exams in crafts’ (the ESF 2016-2020).

Support for teachers and schools in education for sustainable development is limited. Materials and e-resources on teaching sustainability are available on the central educational platform, and some guidelines for teachers have been published recently (Gadomska, 2023; Skubala, 2024). However, sustainability is not included in the teachers’ competence framework, and there is no specific pedagogy for teaching it in an interdisciplinary or cross-curricular way (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2024). The learning objectives in sustainability for initial teacher education programmes are identified for some specialisations only and cover basic concepts of ecosystems and ecology. Continuing professional development on sustainability focuses mainly on innovative teaching for primary teachers. Competitions for schools on climate change⁶ at national level are organised annually, and top-level financial support for schools is provided to non-infrastructure projects.

2. Early childhood education and care

Participation in early childhood education is close to the EU average, although it remains low for children aged 3. After some stagnation during 2019-2021, in 2022, the participation rate increased by around 2 percentage points (pps) and reached 92.4%, close to the EU average (93.1%)⁷. Over the past decade, the rate increased by 10 pps from 2013. The participation of 5 and 6-year-olds is almost universal at 99.2%. The participation rate of 3-year-olds increased significantly (by 27.4 pps) since 2013 but remains low (80.2% vs EU 88.6%). The overall participation remains also low in some regions (87.1% in Warminsko-Mazurskie, 87.7% in Kujawsko-Pomorskie, and 88.3% in Mazowieckie, excluding Warsaw)⁸. In March 2024, 33 244 displaced children from Ukraine were enrolled in ECEC, and the Ministry of National Education reported that 1 208 ECEC settings were created in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine (EAC, 2024).

Poland has launched a wide reform of the childcare system to improve its affordability, accessibility and quality, supported by EU funds. Under the 2022-2029 ‘Active Toddler’ (previously ‘Toddler+’) programme, Poland aims to create 102 577 new childcare places, supported by the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). Under its recovery and resilience plan (RRP), Poland is implementing reforms to create a sustainable financing system for running childcare facilities, and to enhance quality standards. Furthermore, Poland has launched a programme to set up a childcare setting in those municipalities that do not have such facilities (EUR 14 million in 2024)⁹. According to Statistics Poland (2023), the number of childcare places increased in 2022 by 7.5% compared to 2021, with 300 additional facilities set up. However, data from the EU’s statistics on income and living condition (EU-SILC) survey, which do not count childminders, continues to indicate a low participation rate of 12.6% in 2023 (EU 37.5%)¹⁰ (Figure 1). The rate for children at risk of poverty and social exclusion is minimal at 1.55% in 2023 (EU 25.19%). The ‘Active Parent’ Act of 15 May 2024¹¹ has replaced the previous schemes and added new benefits for parents in employment. From October 2024, working parents of children aged 12-35 months can receive up to EUR 350 (EUR 442 for children with disabilities) per month to support childcare fees. Those staying at home with children are entitled to EUR 116 per month. There have been public consultations on the quality standards to be met by childcare providers from January 2026¹². Until then, with the ESF+ support, Poland plans to train 9 000 childcare staff, 2 500 managerial staff and 1 400 representatives of municipalities in line with the new standards. In July, their monthly salaries were increased by EUR 233. The Minister announced that 4 April is to be known as ‘Childminder’s Day’ with the annual awards for the best childminder being held¹³.

Figure 1: Participation of children in formal childcare or education (below the age of 3) by at risk of poverty or social exclusion situation, 2023 (%)

3. School education

Performance in basic skills has decreased massively, even if Poland still performs better than the EU average. In the 2022 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey, the proportion of students not meeting minimum proficiency levels in basic skills increased to 23% in mathematics, 22.2% in reading and 18.6% in science, which is below the EU average and the EU level target. The underachievement rate grew more than the EU average since 2018: in mathematics by 8.3 pps (EU 6.6 pps), in reading by 7.5 pps (EU 3.7 pps), and in science by 4.8 pps (EU 2 pps). The decline in the proportion of top-performing students in mathematics was among the steepest in the EU, by 6.4 pps since 2018 (EU 3.1 pps), falling to 9.4 % (EU 7.9%). In reading and science, the top performance also fell sharply below 10% (OECD, 2023b). The 2022 PISA results reflect the reorganisation of the school system and curriculum changes in 2017, and the impact of COVID-19, including long school closures (26 weeks) (Bulkowski et al., 2023; Jakubowski et al., 2022). Increased teacher shortages could also have affected student skills. Decreased performance in basic skills hinders educational, professional and personal development, and having fewer students with advanced skills risk limiting Poland’s competitiveness and innovation.

Socio-economic background increasingly affects students’ performance, with high inequalities between different types of secondary schools. The increase in the proportion of students underachieving in mathematics is significantly higher among socio-economically disadvantaged students (13.5 pps) than among advantaged students (2.8 pps), which has widened the socio-economic gap by 10.6 pps since 2018 (Figure 2). Overall, 39.1% of disadvantaged students lack basic mathematics skills. The 2017 reorganisation of the school system advanced student tracking between general and vocational paths by 1 year. Variation between schools regarding basic skills increased in 2022, and the staggering proportion of underperforming students is clustered in stage I sectoral vocational schools (szkoły branżowe): 66% in mathematics, 65% in reading, and 55% in science (see Section 5). In 2022, the proportion of disadvantaged students scoring in the top quarter of mathematics performance was only 8.6% (EU 9.4%). Poland is discussing measures to improve the pedagogy of teaching mathematics.

Figure 2: Change in the underachievement rate in mathematics, by students' socioeconomic status (PISA 2018-2022)

Poland is preparing a curricular reform at pre-primary and primary levels from 2026. To address urgent challenges related to curriculum overload, the content of the core curricula for 18 subjects at ISCED 2 and 3 was reduced by 20% from September¹⁴. A comprehensive curricular reform for pre-primary and primary levels is being prepared¹⁵. The graduate profile for ISCED 02 and ISCED 1 has been submitted for wide public consultations till 31 October.

Poland has intensified its focus on student health; cyberbullying and bullying remain serious challenges. In 2024, the Minister of Education appointed the plenipotentiary for student mental health, and a national project addressing diverse student needs was launched (Box 1). In 2025, a new subject, health education, covering physical and mental health, will be introduced in grades 4 to 8 and upper secondary schools. Despite official guidance and school action plans since 2019, peer violence, particularly cyberbullying is widespread. Poland ranks sixth among 44 surveyed countries for 13-year-olds experiencing peer violence (13% of girls, 20% of boys) (Cosma et al., 2024). Poland is also among the five countries with the highest cyberbullying rates among teenagers, with 13-year-olds being the most affected (25% boys and 28% girls), well above the average of 15% for the countries surveyed. At the upper secondary level, almost 1 in 5 students (18.4%) reported having been frequently bullied, with students in schools with a disadvantaged profile more likely to be affected (23.7%). Being exposed to bullying at least a few times a month was associated with a 13-score point drop in mathematics performance¹⁶ in Poland (OECD, 2023c). Only 64.2% of Polish 15-year-olds reported feeling like they belonged at school, one of the lowest rates in the EU.

Poland has substantially increased teacher salaries, while shortages continue to affect students. National statistics show teacher shortages across Poland, mainly due to a lack of candidates (MRPiPS, 2024). In PISA 2022, according to headteachers’ reports, 47.5% of 15-year-olds attended schools where instruction could be hindered by lack of teaching staff and 23% attended schools where instruction could be hindered by poorly qualified teaching staff, compared to 2.6% and 1%, respectively, in 2018 (OECD, 2023). Only 46% of students reported that in most mathematics lessons their teacher showed an interest in every student’s learning, and 41% reported that the teacher gave extra help when needed. This is among the lowest proportions in the EU. From January 2024, Poland addressed the issue of low remuneration by increasing teacher salaries by 30%, and by 33% for new teachers. However, other challenges persist, including the low prestige and the negative selection to the teaching profession¹⁷, and insufficient quality and relevance of teacher training (Atroszko, 2024). In June 2024, Poland established a new interdepartmental taskforce to address these challenges¹⁸.

Poland has taken measures to improve the inclusion and enrolment of migrant children in schools; absenteeism among Polish students also raises concerns. As of February 2024, around 180 000 displaced Ukrainian children were enrolled in schools. However, many remain outside the Polish schooling system. To boost enrolment, from September 2024, only the parents of children attending schools are eligible for child benefits¹⁹. To improve the integration of migrant student into schools (NIK, 2024; Chrostowska, 2024), the Ministry of National Education has prepared an ESF+ project to provide relevant measures in schools (budget EUR 116 million)²⁰. However, PISA 2022 shows that also almost a third (29.1%) of Polish students skipped a whole day of school at least once in the 2 weeks before the PISA test, more than the EU average for non-immigrant students (22%). While the overall rate of early leaving from education and training remains low in Poland (3.7% in 2023), absenteeism creates risks for missed opportunities for learning, lower school marks, and early dropout.

4. Vocational education and training

Vocational and technical education (VET) is popular in Poland, although the employment rate of recent graduates is below the EU average. More than half (60.01% in 2022) of upper-secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary students attend VET programmes²¹. The employment rate of the recent VET graduates was 78.7% in 2023 (EU 81%), dropping by 3.6 pps since 2022. Polish students benefit less from work-based learning than students on average in the EU (58.4% vs EU 64.5%). Many graduates of technical schools (technika) continue their education at tertiary level: among technical school graduates from 2021, a few months after graduation 40% were in higher education, while a year after graduation this increased to 45% (IBE, 2024). Many schools apply for Erasmus+ grants²² and to the ESF+ to support national and international internships.

The poor basic skills of stage I VET students risk reducing their future employability and reskilling. In PISA 2022, the average performance in mathematics of 15-year-olds in stage I sectoral vocational schools is 85 score points lower than of those in technical schools (Bulkowski et al., 2023). The proportion of top-performing students (level 5 and 6) in mathematics in sectoral schools is close to 0, indicating high educational inequalities between school types. Furthermore, students in these schools have a lower exposure to mathematics than those in general and technical schools. The sector is also strongly affected by teacher shortages. The lack of basic skills is likely to hamper students’ ability to learn a profession, upskill or reskill, leading to long-term unemployment and social exclusion.

The VET graduate tracking results show the low effectiveness of stage I sectoral vocational schools and special VET schools. Almost a third of stage I sectoral vocational school graduates from 2021 did not receive a diploma or a professional qualifications certificate (IBE, 2024). A quarter continued their education: 20.3% chose general secondary schools for adults, and only 5.7% went to stage II sectoral vocational schools. Students’ choices can be interpreted as resulting from either dissatisfaction with the vocational path or a need to strengthen their basic skills. One year after graduation, a third of stage I sectoral vocational school graduates were not in employment, education or training (NEET). The results for special VET school graduates (szkoły specjalne przysposabiajace do pracy) are even poorer - several months after graduation, as many as 93% were in the NEET group.

5. Higher education

The tertiary educational attainment rate has reached the 2030 EEA target. Following years of gradual decline, in 2023, the proportion of people aged 25-34 holding a tertiary diploma increased sharply (by 4.6 pps) since 2022 to 46.3%, exceeding the EU-level target. The gender gap in favour of women (19 pps) remains far above the EU average. There is also a strong urban-rural divide as only 33.5% of people in the 25-34 age group in rural areas have a tertiary degree compared to 61.3 % in cities. In the context of the shrinking student-age population, the number of tertiary students has fallen by 11.9% between 2015/2016 and 2023/2024, and the number of graduates at ISCED 6-7 level decreased by 19.9% (Statistics Poland, 2024). To address students’ needs, in 2024, HEIs could request a targeted subsidy for investments in on-campus student accommodation for the total available funding of EUR 35 million.

The relative proportion of graduates in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is among the lowest in the EU. In 2022, the proportions of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at 19.4%, and in ICT at 4.3% remained below the EU average (26.6% and 4.5%, respectively). In natural sciences, mathematics and statistics, it is less than half the EU average (3.3% vs EU 7.3% in 2022)²³. The proportion of female STEM graduates out of the total number of STEM graduates is comparatively high (41.1% vs EU 35.4%)²⁴. However, in engineering and technology programmes, only 26.2% of students are female²⁵. The recent increase in the number of technological study programmes may boost the interest in STEM. Female students are increasingly interested in new technologies programmes (Knapinska, 2024), and Poland continues campaigns to attract women to STEM²⁶.

Financing for higher education increased in 2024, while investment needs remain substantial. Poland’s performance in innovation remains below 70% of the EU average on the EU Innovation Scoreboard (European Commission, 2024). Academic staff aged 25-34 made up only 14.1% of the total in 2022 (EU 20.9%), and the proportion of PhD graduates is comparatively low (0.5% vs EU 1.3%, 2022)²⁷. The 2024 budget for higher education includes a 21.6% increase on 2023 to support higher salaries, funding for research and student dormitories. In January 2024, the salaries of academic staff were increased by 30%, and other university staff by 20%. However, more comprehensive measures are likely needed to attract young talent to pursue an academic career. The recent national analysis has shown that expenditure in science and research in Poland, as a percentage of GDP, was at the level of 30-50% of financing in the leading EU countries, and approximately 70% of the leading countries in central and eastern Europe. The report indicates a need for significant long-term increases in funding for higher education and science to improve the quality of their outputs in Poland (Pietrucha et al., 2023).

Poland has implemented first measures to improve the evaluation system of scientific performance of HEIs and plans to revise the Law on Higher Education and Science. To address the biggest concerns over the reliability of the scientific evaluation of HEIs conducted between 2022 and 2023, in January 2024, the scientific journal index was revised, returning to the one defined by the Scientific Evaluation Committee in June 2023. The Polish Accreditation Commission has adjusted its procedures in line with the standards of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR)²⁸. The evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning, of the HEIs internal quality assurance systems and of PhD schools is due to be launched in 2024²⁹. The aim of the planned revision of the Law on Higher Education and Science is to improve the quality of academic teaching and learning, make the evaluation system more transparent, and address the demographic challenges in the sector³⁰.

Poland is developing a strategic approach to internationalisation of higher education. In 2022, 2.8% of Polish tertiary education graduates had spent a learning mobility period abroad³¹, which is far below the EU average (11%). In Poland, the inward degree mobility rate is higher for non-EU graduates than for EU graduates (3.3% vs 0.3%), where the latter is among the lowest rates in the EU. To support HEIs in their internationalisation processes, Poland is developing the relevant strategy (Box 2), which is in line with the EU Council conclusions on a European strategy empowering HEIs for the future of Europe³².

6. Adult learning

Participation in adult learning remains far below the EU average. It stagnated between 2011 and 2022, and at 20.4%³⁴, it remains below the EU average (39.5%), and below Poland’s 2030 national target (51.7%)³⁵. The key challenges in adult learning have included: i) a complex institutional system of adult learning without clear coordination; ii) the implementation of policy responses mainly based on EU-funded projects; and iii) the underuse of available measures that could support adult learning.

A lack of digital skills hampers the economy, although young people are showing interest in green upskilling. Only 44.3% of people aged 16-74 have at least basic digital skills (EU 55.56% in 2023)³⁶. Less than 25% of Polish workers engage in upskilling while Poles have the third lowest level of average digital skills in the EU, struggling with digital content creation, responsible digital usage, and communication in digital environments. This indicates a critical need to increase adult learning participation and improve digital skills, including the use of AI (IBS, 2024). As regards young people, recent data show that they are open to developing green skills, with 79% willing to undergo green skills training and over half open to moving into green jobs if the necessary reskilling is guaranteed by their employer (Szczepanik, 2024).

Poland is stepping up its regional approach to lifelong learning, including digital skills, and is developing systems of individual learning accounts and micro-credentials. Under Poland’s RRP, the 16 regional voivodship coordination teams for vocational education and lifelong learning have been established, and regional action plans on skills are being developed. In line with the 2030 digital competences development programme (Polish Government, 2023), local digital development clubs will be established to strengthen basic digital skills among adults³⁷. The ESF+ will support training schemes included in the database of development services with EUR 1.63 billion. Furthermore, Poland has launched two pilot ESF+ projects on the individual learning accounts scheme³⁸ and on designing the system of micro-credentials³⁹.