WITHAnother school year was beginning. According to the Ministry of National Education, 421,000 children had just entered the first grade of primary school. About 104,000 male and female students began their education in general secondary schools, 88,000 in technical secondary schools, and 38,000 students were studying in the first year in first-cycle vocational schools.
What school did they start at? And what did they gain from European funds?
Let’s first look at how Polish students compare to their European peers. The answer comes from PISA, the Programme for International Student Assessment. This is the largest survey of student skills in the world, conducted every three years in OECD countries among students over the age of 15. Reading comprehension, mathematical skills and scientific reasoning are assessed.
The latest report shows that in all areas examined, the results of Polish teenagers are above average. In terms of reading comprehension, our score is one of the highest in the EU – 489 points (1). We also do quite well in terms of mathematical skills – among EU countries, we are better than Estonian students. We are also good at reasoning in natural sciences. Our score is 499 points, which puts us just behind the best – Estonia and Finland.
To what extent did EU funds contribute to these results?
From kindergarten to teacher training
In recent years, EU funds have supported Polish education to the tune of PLN 43 billion. – according to the report “The impact of cohesion policy 2014-2020 on the education and training system”, which covered all EU education-related programmes to assess their effectiveness. The largest amount was allocated to adult education (approximately PLN 20 billion).
There has also been a change in pre-school education – there are more and more kindergartens, especially in rural areas. More than 76,000 new kindergarten places have been created under the European Social Fund (ESF) projects. Without EU support, the number of pre-school children in rural communes would be 18,000 lower.
Education has undoubtedly become more accessible to students with disabilities. Infrastructure and equipment have been adapted to their needs.
EU funds have also been allocated for additional classes that develop skills in maths, science, IT and foreign languages.
Teachers benefited – approx. 145,000 of them participated in professional development. Educators also participated in training, for example in the ability to use information and communication technologies (ICT).
Practical professional training
Priority was given to vocational education. What did European funds achieve here? School infrastructure and equipment were improved. Almost 80 per cent of vocational schools organised internships and apprenticeships for students using EU funds, 79 per cent invested in improving teachers’ skills and 78 per cent of schools bought new laboratory equipment and teaching materials.
However, as the report shows, the labor market situation for students and graduates of vocational schools has not fully improved.. The problem of Polish vocational schools remains the inadequacy of the needs of the labour market. The educational offer proposed by school principals is determined mainly by practical and organisational considerations, such as technical facilities and the availability of qualified teachers.
Therefore, most vocational students receive education in the catering and mechanical industries, and fewer in the following areas: chemistry, ceramics, glass and mining. Unfortunately, the supply of graduates in the most commonly taught professions exceeds the demand reported by employers and therefore unemployment is high in the mechanical and catering industries.
You have to invest in people
Conclusions? The authors of the report point out that although the effects of European funds in the field of education are visible, the needs are still great. Mainly because new challenges are constantly emerging. Nowadays, more and more children from different countries and with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds are studying in schools. Activities that integrate them are needed. Polish youth also struggle with many mental health problemsIn each class there are also children with SEN, that is, special educational needs.
So while we have made great progress in improving school infrastructure, we now need to invest in people (teachers), modern curricula and good career counselling.
Here are some interesting EU projects that are changing Polish education.
Educational Sets – these are modern e-materials for teachers, available on the Integrated Educational Platform of the Ministry of Education. From foreign languages, through arts, humanities and mathematics, to natural sciences, preschool education and the use of AI in the classroom – each set is a source of inspiration and tips on how to develop students’ core competencies in a modern way and adapt them to the job market.
The kits provide practical knowledge that can be used in the future professional career of young people. To ensure that as many teachers as possible learn about them, the Centre for Education Development – as part of the EU project “Popularisation of educational toolkits” – is looking for leaders who will promote new teaching methods and tools contained in educational kits in their environments. More at: https://ore.edu.pl/2023/06/popularyzacji-zestawow-narzedzi-edukacyjne-oraz-metod-nauczania-i-uczenia-sie-wspomagajacych-rozwoj-klejowych-kompetencje-uczniow-dostosanych-do-labour-market-needs-about-the-project/
Modular e-textbooks – an innovative teaching solution for primary schools; the result of many years of work by specialists, using information and multimedia technologies to support teachers in their work. As the authors of the textbooks emphasize, a modular approach to learning is the future, because by dividing the material into individual modules, we can bring them together into a whole, including various topics and creating interdisciplinary structures that will help students understand the complexity of the world.
There are twelve e-textbooks: biology, nature, chemistry, physics, geography, mathematics, computer science, history, social studies, Polish language, music and art. In a competition organized by the Center for Educational Development, 12 schools were selected to participate in the pilot.
More at: https://ore.edu.pl/category/projekty-fers/pilotazowe-wdrozenie-modulowych-e-podrecznikow-oraz-opracowanie-zalozen-do-powiedzch-technologiczne-e-materialow-wspierajacych-nowoczesne-metody-ensino-e-aprendizagem/
RaP STEAM – robotics and programming in primary schools in the province. Podkarpackie – the project will reach 770 schools and 12,000 students from 4th to 8th grade. RaP STEAM will introduce students to the world of robotics, enabling them to acquire basic programming skills and build their own robots.
They will explore the secrets of robotics and programming not only in computer science, but also as part of extracurricular activities organized in schools and during robotics camps and workshops at the Łukasiewicz Podkarpackie Science Center. The schools will be equipped with laboratories with sets of educational robots.
– Any project that promotes the development of robotics and programming is worth its weight in gold. This is a great opportunity for young residents of Podkarpacie – they will acquire knowledge and skills thanks to which universities will be happy to take them under their wing – said the superintendent of education of Podkarpacie.
RaP STEAM is implemented as part of the regional programme European Funds for Podkarpackie 2021-2027. It is co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus. It will last until 2029. More at: https://rap.podkarpackie.pl
Industrial education centers – an EU project financed by the KPO (over PLN 1.4 billion), which invests in vocational education. As part of this, 120 modern Industrial Competence Centres (BCU) will be created.
The BCU formula is new to the education system. The centers will be technologically advanced education, training and examination centers in a specific industry. Their offering will be available free of charge to pupils, students, teachers, lecturers and industry workers. The 120 areas in which the centers will be established include: automation, robotics, mechatronics, automotive industry, aviation industry, renewable energy.
The first BCUs are already operational. In July, a mechanically oriented BCU was established in Pionki. It is equipped with modern machinery. An e-learning platform with machine simulators has also been launched.
In turn, the mission of the BCU in Łuków is to promote professions related to metalworking, mechanics and machining. Equipped with the most modern equipment on the market, the space invites adults and young people to participate in free training and expand their knowledge, skills and professional qualifications.
The BCU in Radom, which specializes in industrial automation, also has an interesting offer. One of the most modern workshops in Poland for automated turning and milling centers has been established here. Free training includes the use of PLC controllers, operating panels, pneumatic systems, as well as topics related to robotics and drives.
The creation of Industrial Education Centers is a project that will strengthen the reform of vocational education in Poland. More at: https://www.frse.org.pl/kpo-bcu
Conclusions? In the new allocation of European funds, Poland has at its disposal the largest funds since the beginning of its EU membership – more than 76 billion euros, plus about 60 billion euros from the National Reconstruction Plan. Some of them will go to education-related projects. This is good, because Polish education still needs funding and changes to become a place that equips young people with an educational compass and makes it easier for them to navigate a changing and uncertain world.
Among the recommendations for the National Reconstruction Plan included in the document “Directions of development of Polish education 2021-2027” we will find demands for education against discrimination and exclusion, a school of good relations, digital education as a norm, not an add-on, and a school of professional and valued educators. Many EU projects already cover these areas and more will be implemented.
1) The PISA survey scale was constructed in such a way that the value of 500 points corresponds to the average results of OECD countries in the PISA survey in the year in which a given area was the leader for the first time. In the same procedure for constructing the scales and determining the unit for each of them, it was assumed that the standard deviation (measure of diversity) of the results for all OECD countries would be 100. It is worth noting that the level of competences expressed in PISA points is relative (and does not refer to objectively defined expectations about what subjects should know or be able to do).
The publication is financed by the Regional Development Fund.
