Country report

1. STEM education

Poland needs more highly-skilled STEM professionals to boost productivity, innovation, and the green and digital transition. Persistent skill shortages limit productivity growth in Poland (OECD, 2025b). In 2023, 42.6% of medium-level VET students were enrolled in STEM, exceeding the EU average (36.3%) and approaching the proposed 2030 EU-level target (45%). However, only 21.2% of tertiary students were in STEM programmes (EU 26.9%) despite positive labour market outcomes. STEM graduates’ starting salaries are higher than the local averages, increasing with the level of qualifications, and their unemployment levels are lower than the national average. Between 2015 and 2023, STEM enrolment fell sharply by 5.6 percentage points (pps). Unlike in ICT, engineering enrolment has been falling since 2016, standing at 12.0% in 2023 (EU 14.7%), and enrolment in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics dropped further to 3.3% (EU 6.8%) (Figure 1). The 2010-2014 support programme for STEM studies failed to sustain long-term interest and universities did not always focus on graduates’ employability (Grotkowska, G. et al., 2014). Low enrolment in natural sciences and maths combines with scientific and teaching careers that are not appealing in Poland, and is affected by a high dropout rate (OPI, 2020). Only 2.2% of STEM PhD students are in ICT (EU 3.8%) and given the low overall proportion of PhD students in Poland, the results are even poorer. The content and modes of studies are not always aligned with labour market needs, particularly in climate change and energy security (KRASP, 2024). The proportion of STEM university graduates per 1 000 of population aged 20-34 is only 11.9% (EU: 14.3%). In 2025, Poland has received a country-specific recommendation to ‘step up participation in STEM fields in higher education’ (Council of the European Union, 2025).

Poland aims to increase the participation of women in STEM. In 2023, 34.1% of STEM tertiary students were female, above the EU average of 32.3%, but below the proposed 2030 EU-level target of 40%. Women accounted for only 17% of ICT students in tertiary education in 2023, 20.7% of ICT PhD students (EU 24.3%), and 17.5% of ICT professionals in 2024 (EU 19.5%). In VET, 15.1% of students in STEM programmes were female (EU 15.4%), below the 2030 EU-level target of 25%. According to an analysis commissioned by the Ministry for Science and Higher Education (MSHE), women held 33.3% of academic posts and 18.3% of professorships in STEM. The Council for Women in Higher Education and Science has been tasked with developing recommendations for boosting women’s careers in higher education and STEM. An ESF+ project will promote interest in ICT among girls in primary schools. The European Commission’s Technical Support Instrument is supporting the Polish authorities in identifying measures to strengthen women’s participation in ICT professions and monitoring related measures’ effectiveness.

Poland’s 2030 Integrated Skills Strategy aims to promote skills related to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Launched in 2020, the strategy focuses on increasing participation in STEM and STEAM in formal and non-formal education, especially among women (Government of Poland, 2020). Efforts include investing in STEM equipment in schools, including STEM and AI laboratories, which are supported under Poland’s recovery and resilience plan (RRP) and the ERDF. Related training for STEM teachers is to be provided by the central and regional continuing professional development centres in line with the national policy priority to enhance interdisciplinary approaches in science and mathematics. Evaluating the impact of these measures, and the strategy’s progress will be essential. Poland engages in various STEM initiatives, including those promoting STEM among women. The recent rise in technological study programmes may increase the number of STEM professionals, particularly among women. This will require continuous skills supply monitoring and programme evaluation. In recent years Poland has taken major steps to expand skills anticipation (CEDEFOP, 2025a). However, the skills intelligence system remains fragmented.

The curriculum reform aims to also improve STEM education. In addition to modernising all core curricula, Poland plans to introduce an interdisciplinary subject Environmental Education in grades four to six in 2026, and a project week at primary and secondary level. Improving pedagogies would be important as Polish students lack confidence in maths, which may discourage them from choosing STEM pathways (see Section 3). Furthermore, more effective education and career guidance could increase tertiary STEM enrolment as 58% of disadvantaged students aspire to high-skilled jobs (including becoming engineers), but do not plan on attending tertiary education (OECD, 2024a). Furthermore, around half of disadvantaged top-performing maths students lack academic ambition (OECD, 2024b).

2. Early childhood education and care

Poland has reached the EU-level target for early childhood education. In 2023, the participation rate rose sharply by 4.2 pps from 2022 reaching 96.6%. In the past decade, the rate increased by 16.8 pps since 2014. The participation of five and six-year-olds is universal at 100%, and for four-year-olds stands at 95.7%. The participation rate of three-year-olds also sharply increased (by 26.7 pps) since 2014, but remains below the EU average (84.6% vs EU 90.3%).

The pre-primary curriculum will be reformed as part of the wider school reform. Objectives include strengthening communication, mathematical, digital and transversal competences (problem-solving, critical and creative thinking), as well as well-being, socio-emotional skills, and sustainable development (Szymczak & Strzemieczna, 2025). This should support a smooth transition to primary education. However, rising ECEC teacher shortages due to low salaries is a challenge (Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy - MRPiPS, 2025). In 2022, ECEC teachers earned 71% of what similarly educated workers earned, and less than schoolteachers (OECD, 2025a).

Poland has implemented new measures to boost access to ECEC for children below three. In 2024, enrolment in formal childcare under three increased by 3 pps since 2023 to 15.1%, far below its national 2030 target (23.6%). Participation of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion also increased from 1.6% in 2023 to 4.3% in 2024. Launched in 2024, the programme ‘Active Parent’ contributes to the childcare costs for parents. MRPiPS raised funding for local authorities to establish new creches from around EUR 8 571 to over EUR 13 690 per place, supported by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Supported by the RRF and ESIF, Poland aims to create 102 577 new childcare places by 2029, targeting municipalities without childcare institutions. In March 2024, there were 1 046 such municipalities (42%).

Poland has adopted quality standards for ECEC below three under its RRP. Adopted in December 2024, these standards cover pedagogical activities with children, staff organisation, parent cooperation, and monitoring (Dz. U., 2024). The mandatory standards take effect in January 2026 while the voluntary standards can be implemented later. Local authorities provide support and monitor compliance. MRPiPS with the Foundation for Child Development published guidance for key actors, and launched the national programme ‘Support Academy’ (2024-2026) to train ECEC providers and regional authorities. An awareness campaign and website support implementation. The monitoring and evaluation of the reform will be crucial in informing policy.

3. School education and basic skills

Primary school students perform well in maths and science but need more motivation and confidence in these skills. While the 2022 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey results showed a sharp decline in basic skills of 15-year-olds, in the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) Polish fourth graders scored an average of 546 points in maths and 550 in science, ranking them among top-performing participating countries (von Davier, M., et al, 2024), and higher than the EU average (Figure 2). However, only 21% showed positive attitudes towards maths and 33% towards science, below the international averages of 44% and 53%, respectively (Dobosz-Leszczyńska, W., 2024). The gender gap in maths favouring boys widened to 11 points between 2019 and 2023. According to the 2022 PISA, underachievement and top performance in maths and science at secondary level sharply deteriorated between 2018 and 2022 even though they rank better than the EU average (European Commission, 2024). Polish 15-year-olds are rarely exposed to 21st-century maths tasks, including work with diagrams and graphs or using maths skills in a real-life context. Few (35.9%) frequently connect new material with previous lessons. This limits their confidence and effective learning strategies (OECD, 2024c). Polish students scored above the EU average in creative thinking (Dobosz-Leszczyńska, et al., W., 2024). School cooperation projects, including Erasmus+ could boost student motivation and confidence by engaging them in real-life contexts (see Box).

Poland aims to improve the inclusion of migrant children in education. In 2024, the rate of early leavers from education and training was 4.1%, less than half the EU average. Since September 2024, displaced children and students are required to attend Polish schools. The recently adopted 2025-2030 migration strategy sets the effective integration of migrant children in the Polish education system as one of its priorities (Government of Poland, 2024a). In July 2025, Poland adopted a project ‘Friendly School’ supported with EUR 116 million of EU funding (ESF+) to address the needs of 30 000 students from Ukraine. The project will support schools in employing intercultural assistants, implementing well-being measures, and training school staff until 2027.

Poland is advancing at pace in preparing the curriculum reform from pre-primary to upper secondary levels using a participatory approach. Challenges in school education include overloaded curricula, poor student and teacher well-being, declining basic skills (European Commission, 2024), and increased inequalities (see Key indicators). Announced in 2024, the reform aims to boost students’ key competences, modernise teaching content, and increase curriculum flexibility. Graduate profiles, which are the starting point for the new curricula, were developed for each education level and type of upper secondary school, using guidance from national and international evidence and expertise. This process was opened to public consultation and resulted in the reform policy document (Szymczak & Strzemieczna, 2025). The draft curricula for pre-primary and primary education (grades I and IV) were issued for public consultation in September 2025, and the final curricula are to be introduced in September 2026. The new curricula in upper secondary schools are to be introduced in September 2027, and the new school-leaving exam (‘matura’) in 2031. The draft amendment of the Law on School Education enabling the reform implementation is undergoing the legislative review and approval process. Established in January, a multi-stakeholder monitoring council supports the reform design and implementation, providing advice and recommendations. Ongoing monitoring and the evaluation of the implementation will be essential in addressing challenges and achieving successful outcomes.

Effective implementation of the new digitalisation strategy is crucial for improving young people’s digital competences. In Poland, young people aged 16 to 19 with basic or above basic digital skills dropped from 68.69% in 2021 to 57.89% in 2023 (EU 67.33%). Furthermore, over 31% of young people (aged 15-30) report their education has not equipped them to identify disinformation, one of the highest rates in the EU (European Commission/EACEA, 2024). A recent analysis shows the need to improve monitoring and teaching digital competences in schools (Penszko, P., 2025). The newly adopted 2024-2035 Policy for the Digital Transformation of Education sets the framework for state actions to improve the usage of digital tools, reformulate teaching models, and boost teacher and student digital skills (Government of Poland, 2024b). It also includes measures for digital well-being, cybersecurity and using AI. The implementation is backed by the RRF, ESIF, and national resources. Monitoring the strategy will be crucial for measuring progress. The Children and Youth Civic Panel submitted recommendations to the Minister for Digitalisation to tackle cyber threats. Over 90% agreed on national legislation to limit children’s access to harmful websites promoting violence and fake news.

New subjects of Civic and Health Education were introduced in September 2025. According to the 2022 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study survey, at 79.8%, Polish eighth graders’ civic skills are above the EU average (63.14%). Poland has been one of the best performing countries since 2009. Students have a good theoretical knowledge of the democratic systems. However, they have difficulty in solving tasks related to the current global problems, including sustainable development and disinformation (Wasilewska, O., 2023). Introduced in upper secondary schools, civic education aims to strengthen students’ agency through implementing civic activities and an educational project proposed by students. Health education aims to improve students’ wellbeing by developing their health literacy. The curriculum covers physical, mental, social and digital well-being. For the school year 2025/2026, the subject will be optional from fourth grade in primary schools, and in upper secondary schools. To support teachers of both subjects, the MoE has funded teaching manuals, training, and postgraduate courses in health education.

Despite its acknowledged importance, the teaching profession remains unattractive to young people. Over 75% of young people view teaching as crucial for Poland’s future, and 79% think teachers should earn more (Teach for Poland, 2024). However, low salaries, high workload, and low prestige deter young people from taking up teaching, with the profession ranking lowest in pride and appreciation in Poland according to the 2023 TIMMS study (ibid; IEA, 2024). In 2023, only 15% of fourth graders had maths and science teachers under 40, while around half (47% in maths and 53% in science) had teachers aged 50+ (Dobosz-Leszczyńska, W., 2024). Teaching remains a deficit profession in Poland (MRPiPS, 2025), leading to reliance on retired teachers, with early retirement potentially worsening shortages.

Changes to the Teachers’ Charter aim at improving work arrangements and remuneration. They are based on the conclusions of the ministerial taskforce on the teaching profession. The amendment of 25 July 2025 introduces numerous changes, including modified induction of new teachers, offering permanent contracts after one year (instead of two), aligning salaries of VET trainers and teachers, and compensating overtime. It also modified rights and compensation related to disability pensions, jubilee awards, early retirement, and health leave before retirement. Most changes took effect on 1 September 2025. In addition, a 5% increase in the minimum rate of basic remuneration was adopted in March 2025.

4. Vocational education and training

Participation in vocational education and work-based learning remains strong, but the employment rate of recent VET graduates has dropped. Enrolment in medium-level VET has been stable since 2014, and stood at 58.9% in 2023, higher than the EU average (52.4%). At 62% in 2024, Poland has exceeded the 2025 EU-level target for recent VET graduates exposed to work-based learning during their VET. However, the proportion remains slightly below the EU average (65.3%) and should be interpreted with caution. Despite this, over the past two years (2023-2024), the employment rate of recent VET has declined. In 2024, the rate was 75.4%, falling below both the EU average (80.0%) and the 2025 EU-level target (82%). The decline has not been studied yet, but it may be linked to VET learners’ low basic skills. In addition, a quarter of graduates from stage I sectoral vocational schools lacked vocational certificates (IBE, 2024), which increases their unemployment risk and shows inefficiencies in vocational education. The ongoing curriculum reform (see Section 3) is set to begin in vocational schools in September 2027.

Poland aims to improve employment rates for people with disabilities. It has launched a project ‘Carrier without barriers’, funded by EUR 6 million from the national budget. The project supports upper secondary school students with special educational needs in their transition to the labour market. The objective is to help them develop social competences and to prepare career counsellors to work with students with disabilities. It aims to support 1 000 individuals during 2024-2026.

Poland is implementing its reform and investments to improve the relevance and quality of VET. Poland aims to establish 120 Sectoral Skills Centres under its RRP. In 2024, the first 10 centres were established providing training to students, adults and teachers. Additionally, VET school infrastructure and laboratories are being modernised with the ERDF support. It is important to closely monitor and evaluate the impact of the reform and investments to inform policy.

5. Tertiary education

The tertiary educational attainment rate remains in line with the 2030 EU-level target. In 2024, the proportion of people aged 25-34 holding a tertiary diploma was 45.7%, down by 0.7 pps since 2023. The gender gap in favour of women (17.9 pps) remains far above the EU average (11.2). There is also a strong urban-rural divide as only 32% of people in the 25-34 age group in rural areas have a tertiary degree compared to 62.3% in cities. To minimise the divide, Poland uses the ERDF to modernise university infrastructure, research facilities and invest in student housing, particularly outside large cities. The employment rate of recent graduates (ISCED 5-8) is high at 92.1% (EU 86.7%). Despite the significant (by 12.5 pps) drop in tertiary educational attainment among foreign-born people since 2015, it remains high at 53.5%.

Poland is taking measures to reduce the high dropout rate. In 2012-2020, 40% of students abandoned or changed their study paths (OPI, 2020). To address the problem, the MSHE launched a project to develop guidance, training programmes and materials for students and faculty members on preventing dropout decisions. In addition, the National Research and Development Centre published a call for applications under ESF+ entitled ‘Effective HEI management in order to minimise the dropout phenomenon’ with the budget of EUR 46.2 million.

While learning mobility remains limited in Poland, technical universities more often engage in joint study programmes and joint degrees. In 2023, 3.2% of Polish tertiary education graduates had spent a learning mobility period abroad, which is by 0.4 pps more than in 2022, but far below the EU average (11.0%). In Poland, the inward degree mobility rate is significantly higher for non-EU graduates than for EU graduates (3.7% vs 0.3%). The main barriers to internationalisation concern lack of financial resources, limited number of study programmes in English, and inefficient visa procedures (NAWA, 2023). Technical universities engage more frequently than other types of HEIs in transnational cooperation on joint degrees and joint study programmes (NAWA, 2022). The most popular areas of joint study programmes include mechanical engineering, automation, electronics and electrical engineering, environmental engineering, mining, and energy. Poland aims to develop the internationalisation strategy by end of 2025.

Poland has launched measures to address well-being challenges affecting academia. According to a report commissioned by the MSHE, many members of academia struggle with severe stress, anxiety, depressive disorders, and academic teachers with work-related burnout (Piotrowski, K., et al., 2025). New academic staff and women are particularly vulnerable. PhD students often have difficulties in combining their academic work with private life, and experience depression. In response, the MSHE has identified areas of support, including prevention programmes and psychological support for students and staff, improving stress resilience and work-life balance, and removing barriers to well-being. The 2025 call for proposals focuses on improving the well-being of students, inclusion, preventing discrimination and unequal treatment, and enhanced support for new students.

6. Adult skills and learning

The participation of adults in learning in Poland is significantly below the EU average. In 2022, 20.3% of adults participated in learning, which is around half the EU average (39.5%), and far from the national 2030 target of 51.7% and the EU-level target. Only 4.8% of adults with less than lower secondary education participated in training compared to 11.3% with upper secondary education, and 34.8% of those with a tertiary degree. Place of residence also plays a key role in accessing training. While training participation was 16% in rural areas and 18.7% in towns, it reached 26% in cities. Low participation in adult learning is mirrored in the recent survey of adult skills where Poland performed below the EU average.

Faced with a comparatively low level of basic digital skills among people aged 16-74 years(44.3% vs EU 55.6%), Poland is addressing gaps in digital skills and regional disparities by improving access to adult learning. This is done by the new network of Digital Development Clubs and re-launching the Local Knowledge and Education Centres (LOWE), both supported by the ESF+. With the RRF support, Poland aims to train over 320 000 individuals in digital skills.

Poland is piloting new Individual Learning Accounts, cofinanced under the ESF+. Available to adults aged 18+, the project will be run in selected areas, aiming to benefit around 7 700 people. Participants can receive approximately EUR 2 370 for training, with a required contribution of around EUR 120. The training will be accessible through the Database of Development Services. Close monitoring and evaluation of the pilot are essential for developing sustainable solutions. The new Odznaka+ application will issue and store microcredentials, allowing individuals to build a digital portfolio and accumulate credentials towards full qualification.