Planning policy

The responsibility for teaching staff policies for the school education sector (teacher recruitment, promotion and salaries) rests with the Minister of Education and Science, appointed on 19 October 2020, who supervises the Ministry of Education and Science (established through the merger of the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education).

The monitoring of teaching staff at the national level is based on the School Education Information System (System Informacji Oświatowej, SIO).

The SIO aims to gather data which is necessary to:

• pursue the State’s school education policy at national, regional and local levels, including support for the management of school education;
• ensure effective functioning of the financing system for school education tasks at national, regional and local levels;
• analyse the effectiveness of public funding allocated for school education tasks;
• oversee and coordinate activities undertaken as part of pedagogical supervision across the country and improve the quality of education.

A systematic analysis of SIO data enables the education authorities, among other things, to identify and forecast long-term changes in the teacher employment structure (forward planning), forecast demand for new teachers and eationally plan the work of teachers currently in service.

The Act on the School Education Information System) of 15 April 2011 (ustawa.z dnia 15 kwietnia 2011 r. o Systemie Informacji Oświatowej (SIO)), as subsequently amended,  requires that school administering bodies monitor teacher demand at the school level and gather data on schools, pupils and teachers in their jurisdiction. Data gathered in local databases should be transferred on a yearly basis to the Regional Education Authorities and to the central database managed by the Ministry of Education and Science. Data on teachers collected in the SIO are arranged according to different parameters (for example, age, employment status, education completed, work experience, responsibilities and functions, salary) and, thus, enable the monitoring of the teacher employment structure.

Ongoing monitoring is necessary for the distribution of the school education part of the State budget subsidy and the preparation of the annual Budgetary Act.

The SIO data set on teachers covers:

• educational background of teachers;
• mode of employment based on the Teachers’ Charter (Karta Nauczyciela), the Labour Code (Kodeks Pracy), the School Education Act (ustawa o systemie oświaty) or other national regulations;
• positions held and functions performed by teachers;
• types of, and the workload related to, classes, educational and care-related activities or other duties assigned to teachers in a so-called organisational sheet of a school (or another educational institution) for a given school year;
• reasons behind non-conducting classes;
• professional promotion grades held by teachers;
• level of salaries;
• types of continuing professional development activities. 

Entry to the profession

The employment relationship with a teacher is established in a school or a school complex. The head of a school establishes an employment relationship with a teacher based on an employment contract or appointment (a different type of employment contract that ensures greater job security). Teachers take up positions corresponding to the qualifications and the professional promotion grade which they hold.

The position of teacher may be taken up by a person who:

• has a higher education diploma (degree) and has completed teacher / pedagogical training or has completed a programme in an initial teacher training institution (a type of institution existing earlier) and takes up a position for which he / she has sufficient qualifications;
• respects fundamental moral principles; and
• fulfils health requirements for practising the profession.

In consultation with the other ministers concerned, the minister responsible for school education (or the minister responsible for culture and national heritage in the case of teachers of art schools) lays down, by regulation:

• detailed qualifications required of teachers, including, in particular, the level and scope of the training programme to be completed, for the individual types of schools and other educational institutions;
• conditions for acquiring qualifications to teach foreign languages, including a list of language proficiency examinations which lead to such qualifications;

and may also specify:

• schools and cases in which it is possible to employ teachers without a higher education diploma (degree) or a diploma of an initial teacher training institution.

The minister responsible for culture and national heritage can identify, in a regulation, the types of art schools where teacher positions may be taken by persons who have finished a 2^nd grade art school, with a specialisation area corresponding to the subjects to be taught.

A higher education graduate who has completed teacher / pedagogical training (or, in other words, holds a teaching / pedagogical qualification) is recognised as a qualified teacher, in the specialisation area of the programme completed, at the time of entering the teaching profession.

A person who has no professional promotion grade obtains the grade of trainee teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a school. (See the section ‘Promotion, advancement’ below).

Academic teachers who have at least 3 years of work experience in a higher education institution (HEI) and persons who have at least 5 years of work experience and significant professional achievements obtain the grade of contract teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a school. (See the section ‘Promotion, advancement’ below).

Academic teachers who have a doctoral or post-doctoral degree and at least 5 years of work experience in an HEI obtain the grade of appointed teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a school. (See the section ‘Promotion, advancement’ below).

Teachers are employed by the head of the school or nursery school or other educational institution (further on referred to as the school head) through an open recruitment procedure. There are no detailed regulations on staff policy in schools. All changes are based on a so-called organisational sheet, drawn up by the school head and approved by the body administering a given school.

Teachers are employed based on an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or appointment (mianowanie) (a different type of employment contract that provides greater legal protection).

The employment relationship with a person holding the required qualifications who starts working in a school is based on an employment contract concluded for a fixed period of one school year; one school year is required to complete the so-called induction / probation period before the promotion from the trainee-teacher grade (the first professional promotion grade) to the next grade of contract teacher.

In the case of a contract teacher (the second professional promotion grade), an employment contract is concluded for an indefinite period.

Appointed and chartered teachers (the third and fourth professional promotion grades) are employed on the basis of appointment if they meet the following conditions:

• have Polish citizenship, except that the requirement does not apply to nationals of the Member States of the European Union, the Swiss Confederation and the member states of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) that are signatories to the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement;
• have full legal capacity and full civic rights;
• are not subject of criminal law proceedings for an intentional offence initiated by a public prosecutor or disciplinary proceedings;
• have not been convicted of an intentional offence or intentional tax offence by a valid court judgement;
• have not been punished with a disciplinary penalty during 3 years before establishing the employment relationship;
• hold qualifications required to take up a given position;

and if:

• conditions exist in a school to employ a teacher on a full-time basis and for an indefinite period.

Where this is justified by the needs related to the organisation of the teaching process or the replacement for an absent teacher, also during a school year, the employment relationship with a new teaching profession entrant starting to work in a school or a teacher holding the contract or chartered teacher grade is established by an employment contract for a fixed period.

In case it is not possible to employ a teacher holding the required qualifications, a school may employ a teacher who does not have the qualifications required for a given position, with the consent of the body exercising pedagogical supervision (which, in most cases, is the Head of the Regional Education Authorities).

Where a teacher cannot be employed in a given school on a full-time basis and for an indefinite period, the employment relationship with an appointed or chartered teacher is established by a part-time employment contract for an indefinite period.

The employment relationship with a teacher performing the tasks of a methodological adviser in an in-service teacher training institution is established by an employment contract for a fixed period – a period for which the teacher has been assigned the tasks of a methodological adviser.

An employment contract is concluded by the school head with a teacher who does not have Polish citizenship.

All teachers should meet the requirement of no criminal record, and all are subject to the regulations on disciplinary liability (pursuant to the Act of 18 March 2016 amending the Teachers’ Charter and some other Acts / ustawa z dnia 18 marca 2016 o zmianie ustawy Karta Nauczyciela i niektórych innych ustaw; Journal of Law, item 668). To prove that they fulfil the requirement of no criminal record, teachers should submit a certificate from the National Criminal Register to the school head before entering into the employment relationship.

A disciplinary penalty entry in the Register includes identification data of the teacher concerned, data concerning the disciplinary committee involved, and information on the penalty imposed. Information is made available according to the rules applicable to the National Criminal Register. In practice, before being employed in an educational institution, teachers should provide to the school head, among other things, an excerpt from the central disciplinary penalty register, and a no-criminal-record certificate based on the information in the National Criminal Register. However, the Police, Prosecutor’s Offices, disciplinary committees and courts also have access to the disciplinary penalty register.

The Act of 13 May 2016 on the Measures to Prevent Sexual Offences (ustawa z dnia 13 maja 2016 r. o przeciwdziałaniu zagrożeniom przestępczością na tle seksualnym) (Journal of Law, item 862), which came into force on 1 October 2017, has established a public register of individuals convicted for sexual offences. The database is accessible to educational institutions which are required to check whether an employee is registered there.

Induction / Probation period

A person who has no professional promotion grade obtains the grade of trainee teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a school.

Academic teachers who have at least 3 years of work experience in a higher education institution (HEI) and persons who have at least 5 years of work experience and significant professional achievements obtain the grade of contract teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a school.

Academic teachers who have a doctoral or post-doctoral degree and at least 3 years of work experience in an HEI obtain the grade of appointed teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a college of social work.

Academic teachers who have a doctoral or post-doctoral degree and at least 5 years of work experience in an HEI obtain the grade of appointed teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a school.

To obtain the next professional promotion grade, teachers should fulfil the related qualification requirements, complete an induction / probation period ending with a positive assessment of their professional achievements, and:

• for a trainee teacher: obtain approval from a qualification board after an interview;
• for a contract teacher: pass an exam conducted by an examination board;
• for an appointed teacher: obtain approval from a qualification board after an analysis of the teacher’s professional achievements and an interview conducted by the board.

The duration of the induction / probation period is:

• 9 months for the promotion to the contract teacher grade;
• 2 years and 9 months for the promotion to the appointed and chartered teacher grades.

The starting date of an induction / probation period is the date of employment for a trainee teacher or the date of submission of a probation application for teachers holding the other professional promotion grades.

A contract or appointed teacher holding at least a doctoral degree may apply for the award of the next professional promotion grade after a probation period lasting for 1 year and 9 months.

The head of a school can shorten the duration of a probation period for a contract teacher applying for the award of the appointed teacher grade in case where as an academic teacher, he / she received the contract teacher grade on the date of establishing the employment relationship with the school.

Teachers should start an induction / probation period at the beginning of the school year, and not later than 14 days after they began teaching classes. The induction / probation period is initiated by an application that the teacher submits to the school head, except for trainee teachers who begin their induction period without submitting an application.

Contract teachers can begin their probation period leading to the award of the appointed teacher grade after having worked in a given school for at least 2 years. Appointed teachers can begin their probation period leading to the award of the chartered teacher grade after having worked in the school for a period of at least 1 year, which starts on the date of award of the previous promotion grade.

Contract and appointed teachers can terminate their probation period at any time at their own request. When undertaking it again, they do so for the full duration of a probation period.

As of 1 January 2021, contract and appointed teachers who taught classes in a school abroad and subsequently entered into the employment relationship with a school in Poland may submit an application to initiate:

• the examination process for the award of the appointed teacher grade; or
• the qualifying process for the award of the chartered teacher grade,

after they have completed a probation period of 1 year and 9 months.

During the induction / probation period, teachers carry out their professional development plans approved by the school head. A professional development plan is submitted by trainee teachers within 20 days of the date when they began teaching classes; it is attached to the probation application by teachers holding the other professional grades.

During the induction / probation period, where this is duly justified, the school head can:

• instruct the teacher in writing to revise their professional development plan within the timeframe set, not shorter than 5 days;
• change the teacher’s induction / probation period mentor / supervisor.

With the school head’s consent, the professional development plan can also be revised by the teacher. In this case, within 7 days of submission of a revised plan, the head either approves the plan or instructs the teacher in writing to make necessary adjustments.

An assessment of the teacher’s professional achievements during the induction / probation period is conducted by the school head within 21 days of the date of submission by the teacher of the report on the implementation of the professional development plan. The school head takes into consideration the extent to which the teacher has successfully implemented his / her plan, and:

• for trainee and contract teachers: an assessment proposed by the induction / probation period mentor / supervisor, and feedback provided by the parents’ council;
• for appointed teachers: feedback provided by the parents’ council.

An assessment of the teacher’s professional achievements may lead to a positive or negative outcome. The school head prepares a written report which includes substantiation for the outcome and information about the appeals procedure.

During the induction / probation period, each trainee teacher and contract teacher has a mentor / supervisor who is appointed by the school head from among appointed or chartered teachers.

In nursery schools, schools and other educational institutions, including non-public schools and nursery schools and non-public art schools with the public art school status, the role of a mentor can also be taken by a teacher holding a management position. In schools administered by natural persons or legal entities other than local government units, the role of a mentor for a trainee or contract teacher can also be taken by a contract teacher, including a teacher holding a management position.

The mentor’s tasks are to support the teacher, in particular in the development and implementation of his / her professional development plan, and to draft  an opinion on the teacher’s professional development during the induction / probation period. 

As part of their responsibilities, an induction / probation period mentor:

• works with the teacher during the induction / probation period and supports him / her in the process of entering into the profession; in the case of a trainee teacher, presents documentation used in the school, in particular the documents for the teaching process and educational and care-related activities;
• supports the teacher in the development of his / her professional development plan and, in particular, in the choice of appropriate professional development activities;
• supports the teacher in the performance of his / her professional duties;
• provides opportunities for the teacher to observe classes conducted by the mentor;
• observes classes conducted by the teacher;
• shares knowledge and experience with the teacher and, in particular, discusses classes conducted by the mentor and the teacher;
• inspires and encourages the teacher to take on challenging professional tasks;
• develops knowledge and skills necessary to perform the role of an induction / probation period mentor.

During the induction / probation period, the school head provides conditions for teachers to:

• observe classes, educational, care-related and other activities in the school, and in particular classes conducted by a teacher teaching the same subject or type of classes in the same or another school;
• participate in continuing professional development if this is included in the approved professional development plan and relevant to the needs of the school;
• benefit from subject-specific and methodological support offered by a counselling and guidance (so-called psychological and educational support) centre or other school education institutions.

Where this is duly justified, during the induction / probation period, the school head may instruct the teacher in writing to revise his / her professional development plan or change the induction / probation mentor. During the induction / probation period, teachers can make changes in their professional development plans with the consent of the school head.

Upon completion of the induction / probation period, the teacher submits a report on the implementation of his / her plan to the school head. It should include outcomes of its implementation for the teacher and the school and should be submitted within 7 days of completion of the induction / probation period.

The mentor submits a draft assessment report on the teacher’s professional achievements during the induction / probation period within 7 days of completion of the period. The assessment report covers, in particular, classes taught by the teacher and observed by the mentor, and the level of the teacher’s commitment to fulfil the requirements for the award of the contract or appointed teacher grade.

The school head conducts an assessment of the teacher’s professional achievements within 21 days of the date of submission of the report on the implementation of the professional development plan by the teacher. The assessment may lead to a positive or negative outcome.

The school head issues a certificate which the teacher needs to submit an application initiating the promotion-related examination or qualifying process. It should contain the following information:

• employment mode (number of working hours) and the subject taught or the type of classes conducted on the date of issuing the certificate and during the induction / probation period, together with the identification data for all schools in which the teacher carried out the induction / probation period;
• the date of approval of the professional development plan and the date of submission of the implementation report by the teacher;
• reasons behind the decision to extend the induction / probation period or recognise the period as completed, together with the legal basis for the extension or recognition, and the period when the teacher was absent from work or was not employed.

Trainee and contract teachers submit an application for the initiation of an examination process in the year when they receive a positive assessment of their professional achievements during the induction / probation period. Appointed teachers submit an application for the initiation of a qualifying process within 3 years of receiving the outcome of such an assessment. Where they fail to meet the deadline, teachers are required to undertake another full induction / probation period.

Teachers who have been promoted to a higher professional grade are entitled to a higher salary.

Trainee teacher --> Contract teacher

The employment contract of a trainee teacher covers a period of 9 months.

Applying for the contract teacher grade, a trainee teacher submits a professional development plan to the school head for approval within 20 days of the commencement of classes, that is by 20 September. The trainee teacher carries out activities based on the approved plan and submits a report on its implementation to the school head at the end of the induction period. There is no template for a professional development plan. Each teacher develops his / her own structure for the document (plan) or seeks advice from the school head, his / her induction period mentor or another person.

Within 30 days of the commencement of classes in the school, the head approves the professional development plan or returns it to the teacher, with written instructions to make necessary revisions.

The key persons responsible for the induction period of a new entrant to the teaching profession are the school head and the induction period mentor.

Trainee teachers applying for the contract teacher grade should undertake, in particular, the following activities during the induction period:

• learn about the organisation, tasks and rules underlying the activities of the school, including:
• regulations on the activities of the school;
• methods for keeping school documentation;
• regulations on safe and healthy conditions for learning and work;
• participate as an observer in classes conducted by the induction period mentor or other teachers for at least 1 teaching hour per month, and discuss the classes observed with them;
• conduct classes with pupils, in the presence of the induction period mentor or school head, for at least 1 teaching hour per month, and discuss the classes with the supervising person;
• participate in internal continuing professional development activities within the school.

The requirements for promotion to the grade of contract teacher include:

• knowledge about the organisation, tasks and rules governing the activities of the school where the induction programme takes place;
• the ability to conduct classes in a way that ensures proper performance of the school’s statutory tasks;
• familiarity with the pupils’ community and their problems, and the ability to work with them;
• the ability to discuss lessons taught and observed.

Starting on 1 September 2019, the qualifying process for teachers applying for the contract teacher grade is conducted by the school head. At the request of the teacher, the school head appoints a board and notifies the body exercising pedagogical supervision (usually, the Head of the Regional Education Authorities) and the school’s administering body of the date and venue of the board’s meeting. Then the board conducts an interview during which the trainee teacher:

• presents his / her professional achievements;
• demonstrates his / her knowledge and skills, in particular, by:
  • proposing a solution to the problem described by the board, related to the work done by the teacher, taking into consideration the school practice, up-to-date knowledge and the national legislation;
  • carrying out a task with the use of multimedia tools;
• answers the board’s questions relating to the requirements for the award of the contract teacher grade.

Each board is composed of:

• the school head or deputy head as the chair of the board;
• the leader of the teacher team; where such a team has not been established: either an appointed or chartered teacher employed in the school or a contract teacher in a nursery school, school or another educational institution where no appointed or chartered teachers are employed;
• the induction period mentor.

Contract teacher --> Appointed teacher

A contract teacher may begin the probation period for the promotion to the grade of appointed teacher after at least 3 years of work in the school.

Where a contract teacher has received an outstanding grade in a performance appraisal, he / she may begin the probation period for the next professional promotion grade after having worked in the school at least 2 years as from the date of award of the previous grade.

A contract teacher submits his / her professional development plan together with his / her application for the initiation of the probation period. Within 30 days of the commencement of classes in the school, the school head approves the professional development plan or returns it to the teacher, with written instructions to make necessary revisions.

Contract teachers applying for the appointed teacher grade should undertake, in particular, the following activities during the probation period:

• participate in the work of the school governing bodies, other educational and care-related activities or other activities based on the statutes of the school and the needs of the school and the local community;

• enhance their knowledge and professional skills, either on an individual basis or as part of various forms of continuing education;
• familiarise themselves with the legislation on school education.

The requirements for promotion to the grade of appointed teacher include:

• the ability to design and improve working methods and techniques, and evaluate one’s own activities, assess their effectiveness and introduce changes in them;
• the ability to take into consideration in one’s work developmental needs of pupils, local community issues and contemporary social and civilisation problems;
• the ability to use ICT in work;
• the ability to apply the knowledge of psychology, pedagogy / education and teaching and learning processes, and of general issues related to school education, social service or proceedings involving juveniles to resolve problems related to the tasks assigned to the teacher;
• the ability to apply the legislation on school education, social service or proceedings involving juveniles to activities of the school where the teacher has undertaken his / her probation period.

An examination board is appointed by the body administering a given school. It is composed of:

• a representative of the body administering the school as the chair of the board;
• a representative of the body exercising pedagogical supervision (in most cases, the Head of the Regional Education Authorities);
• the school head;
• two experts from the register of experts kept by the minister responsible for school education.

Appointed teacher --> Chartered teacher

An appointed teacher may begin the probation period for the promotion to the grade of chartered teacher after having worked in the school at least 4 years as from the date of award of the previous professional promotion grade.

Where an appointed teacher has received an outstanding grade in a performance appraisal, he/she may begin the probation period for the next professional promotion grade after having worked in the school at least 2 years as from the date of award of the previous grade.

An appointed teacher submits his / her professional development plan together with his / her application for the initiation of the probation period. Within 30 days of the commencement of classes in the school, the school head approves the professional development plan or returns it to the teacher, with written instructions to make necessary revisions.

Appointed teachers applying for promotion to the chartered teacher grade should conduct, in particular, the following activities during the probation period:

• undertake activities aimed at improving their teaching methods and techniques, including those developing ICT skills;
• carry out tasks aimed at improving the quality of the school’s activities;
• enhance knowledge and skills which contribute to the teacher’s own development and quality enhancement of the school’s activities, on an individual basis or as part of continuing education, while taking into account the specific type of the school where the teacher undertakes his / her probation period.

The requirements for promotion to the grade of chartered teacher include:

• positive outcomes of teaching, educational and care-related activities;
• use of ICT in work;
• the ability to share one’s knowledge and experience with other teachers;
• at least three of the following tasks successfully carried out:

• developing and implementing a programme of educational, care-related or other activities related to school education, social service or proceedings involving juveniles;
• performing tasks of a methodological adviser; a regional examination board examiner; an expert of a qualification or examination board for teachers applying for promotion; an expert for curricula, preschool education programmes, textbooks or teaching and learning resources; and in the case of art school teachers, also a consultant collaborating with the Artistic Education Centre;
• extending the range of school activities, in particular related to teaching, educational or care-related tasks of the school;
• acquiring foreign language skills at an advanced level; and in the case of foreign language teachers, knowledge of a second foreign language at an advanced level;
• performing tasks related to school education, social service or proceedings involving juveniles in collaboration with other people, local government institutions or other bodies;
• having other significant professional achievements;

• the ability to identify and solve educational, learning or other problems, taking into consideration the specific type of the school where the teacher is employed.

An examination board is appointed by the body exercising pedagogical supervision (in most cases, the Head of the Regional Education Authorities). It is composed of:

• a representative of the body exercising pedagogical supervision;
• the school head, except in cases where the head applies for promotion;
• three experts from the register of experts kept by the minister responsible for school education.

Professional status

Trainee teachers and contract teachers are employed on the basis of an employment contract in accordance with the provisions of the Teachers’ Charter.

Appointed teachers and chartered teachers are employed on the basis of appointment (a different type of employment contract providing greater job security) in accordance with the provisions of the Teachers’ Charter.

The school head is the employer for all teachers working in a given school.

Teachers employed by appointment are not subject to other regulations on reporting relationships for civil servants. However, in performing their duties, they are entitled to protection provided to civil servants.

The body administering a given school and the head of the school are ex officio required to defend the teacher when the rights which he / she has been granted are infringed.

Replacement measures

An ad-hoc replacement hour is an hour (45 minutes) of classes, educational or care-related activities which is allocated to the teacher replacing an absent teacher in addition to the compulsory weekly teaching load (the compulsory number of hours for classes, educational or care-related activities per week).

The payment for ad-hoc replacement hours is based on the professional promotion grade of a teacher, with an allowance for the working conditions added where applicable.

Ad-hoc replacement hours are allocated when due to the absence of a teacher, an urgent need arises to carry out the tasks of the school (or another educational institution), that is, to keep to the outline timetable or only to look after pupils during a lesson.

In the case of replacement of an absent teacher, an employment contract for a fixed period (the period of envisaged absence) is concluded with a contract, appointed or chartered teacher.

An absent teacher's duties can also be assigned to another full-time teacher already working in the same school. In this case, the following limits should be respected:

• without the teacher's consent, the number of additional / overtime teaching hours cannot exceed ¼ of the weekly teaching load (4.5 teaching hours per week in most cases);
• with the teacher's consent, the number of additional / overtime teaching hours cannot exceed ½ of the weekly teaching load (9 hours per week in most cases).

Ad-hoc replacement duties may also be assigned to part-time teachers.

An overtime / additional hour is an hour (45 minutes) of classes or other educational and/or care-related activities allocated in addition to the compulsory weekly teaching load (the compulsory number of hours per week).

The limit for overtime / additional hours is ½ of the compulsory weekly teaching load; a teacher’s consent is required to assign to him / her overtime / additional  hours that exceed ½ of the weekly teaching load. Thus, the limit for overtime / additional hours that each teacher can take depends on his / her compulsory weekly teaching load.

Overtime / additional hours may not be assigned to the teacher without his / her consent when:

• the teacher is pregnant;
• the teacher raises a child aged up to 4 years;
• the teacher undertakes a probation period (a period preceding the promotion to a higher grade);
• the school head wishes to assign overtime / additional hours that exceed ½ of the compulsory weekly teaching load.

Teachers are paid for all additional teaching hours related to the replacement of absent teachers, including both overtime hours and ad-hoc replacement hours.

Taking into consideration the projected employment structure, the school’s administering body that is a local government unit adopts regulations laying down detailed arrangements for the calculation and payment of the remuneration for overtime and ad-hoc replacement hours for teachers holding each professional grade.

Support measures

Teachers-pedagogues, psychologists, speech therapists, career advisers and educational therapists

In addressing educational and learning problems and developing their skills to provide more effective support to pupils, teachers are entitled to receive support from teachers-psychologists (nauczyciel psycholog), education specialists (referred to as 'teacher-pedagogues' (nauczycielpedagog)), speech therapists (logopeda), careers advisers (doradca zawodowy) and educational therapists (terapeuta pedagogiczny) in their nursery school, school or institution.

As part of their responsibilities, pedagogues and psychologists, in particular:

• conduct assessment and diagnostic activities for pupils, including the assessment of their individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities; these are conducted to identify pupils’ strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes or talents, and reasons behind their academic failure or problems in functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for them to function and participate in the life of the school or institution;
• assess educational situations in the school or institution to solve educational problems which impose barriers and limit active and full participation of pupils in the life of the school or institution;
• provide counselling and guidance (so-called psychological and educational / pedagogical support) in forms suited to the needs identified;
• take measures to prevent addiction and other problems of children and young people;
• minimise consequences of developmental disorders; prevent behaviour disorders; and initiate various forms of support in pupils’ school and out-of-school environment;
• initiate and carry out mediation and intervention activities in emergency / crisis situations;
• support parents and teachers in the identification and development of pupils’ individual potential, predispositions and aptitudes or talents;
• support teachers, educational group tutors and other specialists in:
• assessing pupils’ individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities to identify their strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes or talents, and reasons behind their academic failure or problems in functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for them to function and participate in the life of the school or institution;
• providing counselling and guidance (so-called psychological and educational / pedagogical support).

Speech therapists, in particular:

• identify speech problems through, among other things, speech disorder screening tests in order to determine the level of speech and language development;
• conduct speech therapy classes for pupils, and provide advice and guidance to parents and teachers to stimulate pupils’ speech development and eliminate disorders;
• undertake, in collaboration with pupils’ parents, activities to prevent language communication disorders;
• support teachers, educational group tutors and other specialists in:
• assessing pupils’ individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities to identify their strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes or talents, and reasons behind their academic failure or problems in functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for them to function and participate in the life of the school or institution;
• providing counselling and guidance (so-called psychological and educational / pedagogical support).

Careers advisers, in particular:

• systematically assess pupils’ needs regarding education- and career-related information, and support them in education and career planning;
• gather, update and provide information on education career relevant to a given level of education;
• conduct classes devoted to the choice of the field of education and occupation and to education and career planning, while taking into consideration pupils’ strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes or talents;
• coordinate information and guidance activities conducted by the school or institution;
• collaborate with other teachers to ensure the continuity of education-related counselling and career guidance activities;
• assist teachers, educational group tutors and other specialists in counselling and guidance (so-called psychological and educational support).

Educational therapists, in particular:

• conduct diagnostic assessment for pupils with developmental disorders and deviations or specific learning difficulties to identify problems and monitor effects of therapeutic activities;
• identify reasons which make it difficult for pupils to participate actively and fully in the life of the school or institution;
• conduct corrective and compensatory classes and other therapy classes;
• undertake, in collaboration with parents, activities which prevent pupils’ learning problems; 
• support teachers, educational group tutors and other specialists in:
• assessing pupils’ individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities to identify their strengths, predispositions, interests and aptitudes or talents, and reasons behind their academic failure or problems in functioning, including barriers and constraints which make it difficult for them to function and participate in the life of the school or institution;
• providing counselling and guidance (so-called psychological and educational / pedagogical support).

At the request of the head of a school / institution, teachers and specialists providing counselling and guidance in the school / institution are supported by counselling and guidance (psychological and educational support) centres and in-service teacher training institutions.

Teachers-methodological advisers

Teachers receive support in implementing the school curriculum and in in-service training, which covers, for example, the implementation of the core curriculum, including the development of curricula, the assessment of pupils’ needs and the individualisation of the education process. Such support is provided by teachers-methodological advisers (nauczyciel-doradca metodyczny) within the school or in regional / local in-service teacher training institutions.

The support provided by teachers-methodological advisers is particularly useful to entrants to the teaching profession.

As part of their responsibilities, teachers-methodological advisers support teachers and school teaching councils, in particular, in:

• planning, organising and examining the outcomes of the education process, while taking into consideration diverse needs of pupils;
• developing, selecting and adapting curricula;
• developing methodological skills;
• undertaking innovative activities.

Teachers-methodological advisers perform their tasks by:

• providing individual guidance;
• conducting classes, open classes and workshops;
• organising other forms of continuing professional development which support teachers’ teaching and educational activities;
• establishing and maintaining collaboration and self-training networks for teachers.

Teachers-consultants

Public in-service teacher training institutions employ teachers-consultants. Teachers-consultants carry out tasks related to the assessment of teachers’ skills and their related in-service training needs; the organisation of training to improve teachers’ subject-specific, methodological and educational skills; and the collection and dissemination of pedagogical information.  

As part of their responsibilities, teachers-consultants:

• assess teachers’ skills;
• collaborate with the pedagogical supervision bodies and teachers-methodological advisers in assessing teachers’ professional development / in-service training needs;
• organise professional development / in-service training activities for teachers, covering specialist / subject-specific, methodological and educational skills, in collaboration with higher education institutions, teacher training institutions and other educational and training institutions;
• organise professional development / in-service training activities for methodological advisers, management staff, pedagogical supervision staff and other school education staff;
• coordinate the work of teachers-methodological advisers, and provide specialist and methodological support to them;
• collect, compile and disseminate pedagogical information;
• inspire innovation and educational development in schools and other educational institutions, and provide specialist support in such activities;
• promote and disseminate new educational, teaching and learning methods, techniques and resources;
• organise exchange of experience between schools and teachers involved in innovative activities;
• provide support to teachers who apply for promotion to higher professional grades;
• obtain or develop and produce and disseminate methodological and supporting resources relating to the improvement of teaching and learning methods and tools and to educational development;
• collaborate with other in-service teacher training institutions.

Induction / probation period mentors

Mentors / supervisors (opiekunstażu), appointed by the school head, support trainee and contract teachers during their induction / probation period (a period preceding an application for promotion). Mentors are experienced teachers with the appointed or chartered teacher grade who are employed in a given school. They support teachers, in particular, in the development and implementation of their professional development plans, and prepare an assessment report on teachers’ professional achievements during their induction / probation period. (See the section on ‘Promotion, advancement’). 

Support teachers

As of 1 January 2016, support teachers (nauczyciel wspomagajacy) should be employed in nursery schools and schools attended by pupils with autism, Asperger’s syndrome or multiple disabilities who hold a certificate recommending special education.  

A support teacher is an education specialist who contributes to classes conducted by a subject teacher in an integration or mainstream class, and is employed to help organise teaching for disabled and socially maladjusted pupils and pupils at risk of social maladjustment.

Support teachers:

• teach classes together with other teachers, and conduct integrated activities and classes included in the curriculum together with other teachers, specialists and class tutors;
• are involved, together with other teachers, specialists and class tutors, in educational activities for disabled and socially maladjusted pupils and those at risk of social maladjustment;
• participate, where necessary, in educational activities carried out by other teachers and in integrated activities and classes which are included in the curriculum and conducted by other teachers, specialists and educational group tutors;
• assist teachers who conduct classes and teachers, specialists and educational group tutors who conduct integrated activities and classes included in the curriculum in the selection of forms and methods of work with disabled and socially maladjusted pupils and those at risk of social maladjustment;
• conduct classes / activities adjusted to pupils’ individual developmental and educational needs and psychological and physical abilities, and in particular rehabilitation, resocialisation and social therapy activities.

A support teacher holds a qualification in the field of Special Education.

There is a special limit for the number of pupils in integration classes. It should not exceed 20, including up to 5 pupils with a disability, per integration class.

The school head should assess, on an individual basis, how many hours should be assigned to a support  teacher to enable the school to implement the recommendations based on special education certificates. It does not have to be a full-time teaching load in each case.  

Salaries

The minister responsible for school education lays down the minimum basic salary rates for teachers on an annual basis, even if the reference amount determining the basic pay in schools has not changed as compared to the previous year.

Remuneration arrangements for teachers are laid down in the Act of 26 January 1982, the Teachers' Charter (ustawa z dnia 26 stycznia 1982 r. – Karta Nauczyciela) (as subsequently amended), and the Regulation of the Minister of National Education on the minimum rates of the basic salary for teachers, other work-related benefits and allowances, and remuneration for work on days off work (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej w sprawie wysokości minimalnych stawek wynagrodzenia zasadniczego nauczycieli, ogólnych warunków przyznawania dodatków do wynagrodzenia zasadniczego oraz wynagradzania za pracę w dniu wolnym od pracy) (as subsequently amended) (last amended by the Minister of Education and Science on 22 April 2021).

The salary of a teacher consists of:

• the basic salary;
• a number of allowances, including the length- of-service, motivation, function-related (including the one for the class tutor function) and conditions-of-service allowances;
• the pay for overtime and ad-hoc replacement hours; and
• awards and other benefits envisaged in the employment relationship (except for benefits from the institutional welfare fund and additional welfare benefits, including accommodation and rural allowances).

The level of the basic salary depends on the teacher’s professional promotion grade, qualifications and the compulsory teaching load. The level of allowances is determined by the length of service, the quality of teaching, additional tasks or activities, the position held and difficult or hazardous working conditions.

The average salaries of teachers holding individual professional promotion grades should be equal to the following percentages of the reference amount fixed annually for teachers in the Budgetary Act:

• for a trainee teacher: 100%
• for a contract teacher: 111%
• for appointed teacher: 144%
• for a chartered teacher: 184%

of the reference amount for public sector employees, set annually in the Budgetary Act.

As of 1 September 2020, the minimum salary for teachers (in PLN) is as follows:

The minimum rate of the basic salary is calculated for the highest-level qualification held by each teacher.

A trainee teacher undertaking an induction period for the contract teacher grade receives a one-off induction benefit / allowance amounting to PLN 1,000. It is paid by 30 September of the year in which the teacher began his / her induction period. A trainee teacher with more than one employment relationship receives the benefit in the school that is the place of his / her primary employment.

Further information on teachers’ salaries is available in the publication updated by the Eurydice National Units: European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice: Teachers’ and School Heads’ Salaries and Allowances in Europe, 2019/20. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

Teacher remuneration arrangements in the period of temporary restrictions for school education institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic (in place until 31 December 2021)

Teachers conducting classes in a distant learning or other mode should receive salaries which are calculated according to their entitlements regarding the components and level of a salary.  

Teachers should also receive an overtime pay for classes taught beyond their compulsory weekly teaching load.

Teachers retain the right to receive their basic salary, calculated according to their professional promotion grade, and a function-related allowance for the period when they were available for work but did not work for reasons that can be attributed to the employer.

(Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 20 March 2020 on the specific arrangements in the period of temporary restrictions for the functioning of school education institutions in connection with the measures to prevent, counteract and fight against COVID-19 / Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 20 marca 2020 r. w sprawie szczególnych rozwiązań w okresie czasowego ograniczenia funkcjonowania jednostek systemu oświaty w związku z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19) (Journal of Law 2020, item 493).

Working time

Total working time

As part of their working time, teachers are required to conduct the following types of classes and activities:

• classes and educational and care-related activities in direct contact with pupils or for their benefit;
• other activities related to the statutory tasks of the school, including care-related and educational activities addressing pupils’ needs and interests;
• activities related to the preparation for classes, self-learning and continuing professional development.

The legislation in Poland regulates the total working time and the teaching time / teaching load.

Teachers’ work is specific in, among other things, that they can do their individual work in any place.

The working time of full-time teachers may not exceed 40 hours per week, spread over 5 working days.

Teaching time (teaching load)

Teachers are required to teach classes and conduct education- and care-related activities in direct contact with pupils / for 18 to 30 hours per week, with the number of hours depending on the type of school / educational institution, or for the number of hours determined by the head / the administering body of a given school / institution.

The statutory or compulsory weekly teaching load, including teaching, educational or care-related activities undertaken in direct contact with pupils, varies according to the type of school / institution and classes or activities.

The compulsory teaching load per week for full-time teachers is determined according to the following norms:

Teachers with 18 teaching hours (one teaching / class hour lasting for 45 minutes) per week can have their weekly teaching load increased to 27 teaching hours with the consent of the school administering body, given at the request of the school head, and after consultation with the school's teaching council.

The weekly teaching load of 18 teaching hours provides the basis for a full-time teacher’s salary. Teachers receive an overtime pay for teaching hours extending beyond the 18-hour weekly teaching load. Teachers with a reduced compulsory teaching load are not allocated overtime hours.

In special cases justified by the necessity to implement a curriculum, teachers may be required to work overtime, for a pay, in line with their specialisation subject area; however, the overtime hours may not exceed ¼ of the compulsory weekly teaching load. A higher number of overtime hours can be allocated to teachers only with their consent, but the number may not exceed ½ of the compulsory weekly teaching load.

Teachers may also be required to work at night as part of their compulsory weekly number of class-tutor hours. For each hour worked at night, they are entitled to receive an additional pay amounting to 15% of the hourly rate set for the basic salary.

With the consent of the school administering body, the school head can reduce the weekly teaching load for full-time teachers, for a fixed period or until further notice. Based on the school head’s decision, teachers may have a 4-day working week if they are involved in self-learning or perform other tasks of high societal relevance, or if this is determined by the organisation of work in a given school.

Holidays

Teachers are entitled to paid holiday leaveduring school holidays and public and religious holidays. Thus, in practice, teachers have more than 3 months free from work each year.

Teachers employed in a school where the work organisation regulations provide for school holidays are entitled to take holiday leave for the number of days corresponding to the duration of the school holidays and during such holidays.

School summer holidays last around 2 months. A teacher may be instructed by the school head to conduct examinations during the holiday time or to carry out tasks related to the end of the school year or the preparations for a new school year, the development of a school curriculum, or the participation in specific continuing professional development activities. However, such activities may not last longer than 7 days.

For the duration of holiday leave, teachers are entitled to the same salary as they would receive if they were working.

The salary for the period of holiday leave includes:

• the basic salary;
• the length-of-service, motivation, function-related and working-conditions allowances;
• the pay for overtime hours and ad-hoc replacement hours;
• an additional pay for working at night;
• a separate pay for classes and educational and care-related activities conducted on a day free of duty;
• a pay for work on a public holiday day;
• a one-off complementary allowance.

Teachers employed in schools which have no school holidays are entitled to 35 working days’ leave at the time indicated in the staff holiday timetable.

School heads and deputy heads, teachers holding other management positions in a school and teachers who have performed, for at least 10 months, management functions as a replacement for a teacher holding a management position are entitled to holiday leave of 35 working days at the time indicated in the staff holiday timetable.

A teacher who has worked in a school at least on a half-time basis (1/2 of the compulsory teaching load) for at least 7 years may take paid health leaveof up to 1 year in order to undertake prescribed treatment, if a medical board considers this is justified by the teacher’s health condition.

The school head grants health leave to the teacher to undergo:

• a recommended treatment for:
  • a disease which poses a risk that the teacher will develop an occupational disease;
  • a disease which is to a large extent related to work environment factors or the way of performing the work;
• a medical or rehabilitation treatment in a health resort / sanatorium.

At the teacher’s written request for health leave, the school head issues a medical examination referral to an authorised physician. An authorised physician issues a certificate recommending health leave.

During health leave, the teacher retains the right to receive his / her monthly basic salary and the length-of-service allowance, and other employee benefits.

Teachers may be granted another health leave one year after the end of the previous health leave at the earliest. The total duration of health leave during the entire employment period may not exceed 3 years.

A female teacher is entitled to paid maternity leave of 20 weeks, additional leave of 6 weeks and parental leave of 26 weeks. In total, for one child, a mother / parents are entitled to 52 weeks of paid leave.

One of the parents may take non-paidchildcareleave of up to 3 years per child.

A teacher entitled to childcare leave may submit to the school head a written request for a working time reduction and a proportional reduction in the time basis of employment to no less than half-time in the period during which he / she is entitled to such leave. A teacher taking care of at least one child aged up to 14 years is entitled to 2 paid days off work per calendar year.

Where the working time of a baby-feeding woman exceeds 4 hours of continuous work per day, she is entitled to a 1-hour break, counted towards her working time.

Teachers employed on a full-time basis are entitled to paid training leave and other allowances and benefits related to training. These are granted to teachers to attend compulsory classes, prepare for examinations and write a Master’s thesis (they are normally granted 21 days off to attend classes and take examinations, and 21 days to write their thesis).

Teachers may be granted paid or unpaid leave for academic or research, artistic or educational activities, and unpaid leave for other important reasons. 

Promotion, advancement

Professional promotion

Teachers can be awarded the following professional promotion grades:

• trainee teacher (nauczyciel stażysta)
• contract teacher (nauczyciel kontraktowy)
• appointed teacher (nauczyciel mianowany)
• chartered teacher (nauczyciel dyplomowany)

(See the section ‘Induction’).

A person who has no professional grade on the date of entering into the employment relationship in a school obtains the grade of trainee teacher.

Academic teachers who have at least 3 years of work experience in a higher education institution (HEI) and persons who have at least 5 years of work experience and significant professional achievements obtain the grade of contract teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a school.

Academic teachers who have a doctoral or post-doctoral degree and at least 3 years of work experience in an HEI obtain the grade of appointed teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a college of social work.

Academic teachers who have a doctoral or post-doctoral degree and at least 5 years of work experience in an HEI obtain the grade of appointed teacher on the date of entering into the employment relationship with a school.

Chartered teachers who have at least 20 years of work experience in the teaching profession, including at least 10 years of work as a chartered teacher, and significant and recognised professional achievements may be awarded the honorary title of school education professor. The title is awarded by the minister responsible for school education, at the request of the Committee for School Education Professors.

To be promoted to the next grade, teachers should:

• hold the required qualifications;
• complete an induction / probation period and receive a positive assessment of their professional achievements during the period (the teacher follows an individual professional development plan during the induction / probation period);
• have their application approved by a qualifying board after an interview in the case of a trainee teacher;
• pass an exam conducted by an examination board in the case of a contract teacher;
• have their application approved by a qualifying board after an assessment of their professional achievements and an interview in the case of an appointed teacher.

In the school year 2019/2020, the school education system employed 513,868 teachers (in full-time equivalents), including 21,241 trainee teachers (4%), 81,704 contract teachers (16%), 98,304 (19%) appointed teachers, and 288,080 (56%) chartered teachers. There were 25,538 (5%) teachers with no professional grade. (Central Statistical Office, Education in 2019/2020).

Advancement in the school education administration

Aside from the promotion to a higher professional grade and pay rises tied to the level of qualifications acquired, the promotion grade and the length of service which are guaranteed by the law, teachers have only few opportunities for promotion inside the school as the range of functions and positions is very limited in the present structure.

Teachers with the required qualifications, promotion grade and length of service may apply for the position of school head, the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REA) (kurator oświaty) or an inspector in the school education administration.

Teachers with relevant qualifications may also move from a primary school to a secondary school or take up a position of advisor or teacher-consultant in an in-service teacher training institution. However, such promotions often take place as a result of an external offer and are not built into the teaching career.

Some positions (for example, the school head or the Head of the REA) may be taken only through a competitive procedure and held for a term fixed by the law. Thus, this is not a permanent promotion, and teachers may lose their position in the subsequent competition and, consequently, end up back in the group of their former peers.

Although teachers may take courses and obtain higher promotion grades, those who have completed a course or obtained a higher promotion grade will not necessarily gain a management position.

The following positions exist in schools and institutions of the school education sector:

• Teacher,
• Teacher-Methodological Adviser,
• Teacher-Consultant,
• Head (of, for example, a laboratory, school workshop, teacher internship programme, dormitory),
• Deputy Head and Head of a school.

Teachers in the REAs may take up the following positions:

• Inspector,
• Senior Inspector,
• Head of Unit,
• Director of Unit,
• Head of the REA and Deputy Head of the REA.

Positions in the Ministry of Education and Science:

• Inspector,
• Senior Inspector
• Chief Inspector.

Teacher performance appraisal

Two separate appraisal processes are in place: assessment of professional achievements and performance appraisal. Performance appraisal is not related to promotion. The promotion procedure includes an assessment of the teacher’s professional achievements during the induction / probation period.

Assessment of professional achievements

Performance appraisal

As part of their duties, teachers should:

• demonstrate diligence in the performance of tasks assigned to their position and the main teaching, educational and caring functions of the school, including those related to safety of pupils o during classes and other activities organised by the school;
• support each pupil in his / her development;
• strive for full personal development;
• undertake continuing professional development activities in line with the needs of the school;
• teach and educate young people in a spirit of love for the homeland and respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, and in an atmosphere of freedom of conscience and respect for all;
• demonstrate commitment in developing pupils’ moral and civic attitudes based on the ideas of democracy, peace and friendship among people of different nations, races and worldviews.

The work of a teacher, except for a trainee teacher, is subject to appraisal.

Performance appraisal can be conducted at any time, but not earlier than 1 year after the previous performance appraisal or after the assessment of professional achievements (which is a precondition for the award of a higher professional promotion grade).

Detailed performance appraisal criteria for teachers are no longer in place. The school education legislation does not define in detail specific responsibilities of the teacher that the school head takes into consideration in performance appraisal. There is no legal basis for school heads to establish internal regulations for teacher performance appraisal.

Performance appraisal can be conducted on the initiative of the school head or at the request of:

• the contract, appointed or chartered teacher concerned;
• the body administering a given school;
• the school council;
• the parents’ council;
• the body exercising pedagogical supervision, or the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REA) in the case of teachers working in in-service teacher training institutions.

Teacher performance appraisal is descriptive and ends with one of the following overall outcomes / grades:

• outstanding,
• very good,
• good,
• unsatisfactory

The employment relationship with a teacher employed on the basis of appointment (a specific type of employment; see the section ‘Professional status’) is terminated, for example, in case the outcome of a performance appraisal of the teacher is negative.

Performance appraisal covers the following aspects:

• demonstrating diligence in the performance of tasks related to the position held and the main teaching, educational and caring functions of the school, including those related to ensuring safety of pupils during classes and other activities organised by the school;
• supporting each pupil in his / her development;
• striving for full personal development;
• undertaking continuing professional development activities in line with the needs of the school;
• training and educating young people in a spirit of love for the homeland and respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, and in the atmosphere of freedom of conscience and respect for all;
• demonstrating commitment in developing pupils’ moral and civic attitudes based on the ideas of democracy, peace and friendship among people of different nations, races and worldviews;
• conducting classes and educational and care-related activities in direct contact with or for pupils;
• conducting classes and other activities related to the statutory tasks of the school, including care-related and educational activities addressing pupils’ needs and interests;
• conducting classes and activities related to class preparation, self-study and professional development;
• being guided in one’s activities by the wellbeing of pupils, care for their health, moral and civic attitudes, and respect for pupils’ dignity.

The teacher’s religious beliefs or political views may have no influence on performance appraisal. Neither may it be influenced by the teacher’s refusal to carry out his / her superior’s instructions in case the refusal resulted from the teacher’s reasoned conviction that the instructions were contrary to the pupil’s welfare or the public wealth.

The following are useful in teacher performance appraisal:

• analysis of the school records kept by the teacher;
• class observation;
• findings from pedagogical supervision;
• documents on the projects undertaken (participation of pupils in competitions and knowledge contests and their achievements);
• a self-assessment sheet.

Performance appraisal of a contract, appointed or chartered teacher may also be conducted at any time, but not earlier than one year after the previous performance appraisal or the assessment of professional achievements, on the initiative of the school head or at the request of:

• the teacher concerned;
• the body exercising pedagogical supervision or the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REA) in the case of teachers working in in-service teacher training institutions.
• the body administering a given school;
• the school council;
• the parents’ council;

Where a performance appraisal is conducted on the initiative or at the request of:

• the body exercising pedagogical supervision or the Head of the REA in the case of teachers working in in-service teacher training institutions;
• the body administering a given school;
• the school council;
• the parents’ council,

the teacher concerned should be immediately notified of this in writing.  

Performance appraisal is conducted within 3 months of the submission of a request / application, or within 3 months of the written notification to the teacher of the initiation of the performance appraisal process in case appraisal is undertaken on the school head’s own initiative.

The teacher’s religious beliefs or political views may have no influence on performance appraisal. Neither may it be influenced by the teacher’s refusal to carry out his / her superior’s instructions where the refusal resulted from the teacher’s reasoned conviction that the instructions were contrary to the pupil’s welfare or the public wealth.

Performance appraisal is conducted by the school head who:

• consults the parents’ council, except in schools and other institutions which do not establish a parents’ council;
• may consult the pupils’ self-government body;
• consults, at the teacher’s request, or may consult, on his / her own initiative, the relevant methodological adviser about the teacher’s performance, another chartered or appointed teacher or an academic tutor.

The school head determines the final outcome of a performance appraisal after the teacher has familiarised himself / herself with a draft appraisal sheet and provided his / her feedback (comments and reservations). When the final outcome is determined, the teacher receives a performance appraisal sheet which contains the overall appraisal outcome / grade (see above) together with its substantiation, and information on the possibility of lodging an appeal or submitting a request for reconsideration of the appraisal outcome.

An appeal or a request for reconsideration of the appraisal outcome can be filed within 14 days of receipt of the appraisal outcome, based on the following detailed arrangements:

• for a school teacher: an appeal can be lodged to the body exercising pedagogical supervision over a given school via the school head; for a teacher working in an in-service teacher training institution: an appeal can be lodged to the Head of the Regional Education Authorities (REA) via the head of the institution;
• for the school head; a teacher performing the school head function on a temporary basis; a teacher performing the school head function as a replacement for at least 6 months; the head of an in-service teacher training institution; a teacher performing the function of head of an in-service teacher training institution on a temporary basis; a teacher performing the function of head of an in-service teacher training institution as a replacement for at least 6 months: a request for the reconsideration of the appraisal outcome can be filed to the body which has determined the outcome.

A performance appraisal of a teacher who carries out the tasks of a methodological adviser is conducted by the head of the school in which the teacher is employed. It is undertaken when the school head has received the outcome of an appraisal of the performance of methodological adviser tasks by the teacher, conducted by the head of the relevant in-service teacher training institution.

A performance appraisal of the school head, a teacher performing the school head function on a temporary basis or the function of head as a replacement for at least 6 months is conducted by the body exercising pedagogical supervision over a given school, in collaboration with the body administering the school. Where the school administering body is the pedagogical supervision body, an appraisal is conducted by this body.

In the case of in-service teacher training institutions, a performance appraisal of the head of an institution, a teacher performing the function of head on a temporary basis or the function of head as a replacement for at least 6 months is conducted by the Head of the REA, in collaboration with the body administering a given institution.

The minister responsible for school education (or for teachers in art schools, youth detention centres and young offenders’ centres: the minister responsible for culture and national heritage protection and the Minister of Justice, in collaboration with the minister responsible for school education) lays down, by regulation, detailed arrangements for performance appraisal, taking into consideration the need to ensure adequate quality of teacher performance. The arrangements laid down cover the procedure for performance appraisal of teachers, including those holding management positions; details to be included in a performance appraisal sheet; the composition of, and the appointment procedure for, an appraisal board; and a detailed appeals procedure.  

Mobility and transfers

Teachers look for a job on an individual basis, directly in schools and other educational institutions.

Teachers are free to change their job or give up work in the school education sector and take up employment in other sectors of the national economy.

Transfers are sometimes chosen when it is not possible for organisational reasons to employ a teacher in the school where he / she has hitherto worked. Only teachers employed by appointment (a specific type of employment) can be transferred. Thus, for teachers on an employment contract, a change of the place of work may take place only through the termination of the current employment relationship and the establishment of a new one.

Teachers employed by appointment can be transferred, either at their own request or on an ex-officio basis, only with their consent, to another position in the same or another school, in the same or another location, to the same or another position. Where teachers are transferred to another school and another position, they have the weekly teaching load assigned to this position.

A teacher may be transferred on an ex-officio basis to another location on condition that accommodation suitable for his / her family status is provided to the teacher in the new place of work and a job for his / her spouse if he / she is a teacher.

Table: Teacher transfer procedure step by step

Dismissal

Like other employees, teachers may terminate their employment relationship by mutual agreement of the parties. Where the parties fail to reach an agreement, an employment contract may be terminated by a termination notice.

A teacher may be dismissed in the case of the total or partial liquidation of a school. Where teachers may no longer be employed in the school, the school head either grants to them the status of 'inactivity' or, at their own request, terminates their employment relationship.

Full-time teachers who have received a notice of termination for organisational reasons have 30 days to take a decision to accept the ‘inactivity’ status.

Teachers who have the 'inactivity' status retain the right to receive their basic monthly salary and other employee benefits until the employment relationship has expired.

The school head is required first to re-employ a teacher with the 'inactivity' status, whenever such a possibility arises. Where the teacher refuses to take up the job, the employment relationship expires on the date of refusal. 

The employment relationship with a teacher employed by appointment is terminated in the following cases:

• at the teacher’s own request;
• the teacher’s temporary inability to perform the job resulting from an illness if the period of inability exceeds 182 days, or 270 days where the teacher is unable to perform the job due to tuberculosis or during pregnancy. Where this is duly justified, the period of absence from work many be extended for another 12 months if the teacher is granted a rehabilitation allowance in the case of illness or maternity, or is granted health leave;
• a physician conducting a periodic or follow-up medical check-up establishes that the teacher is unable to perform the job held until now;
• the teacher has received a ‘negative’ grade in the performance appraisal process;
• the referral to teach religion in the school has been withdrawn in accordance with the rules specified in separate legislation;
• by mutual agreement;
• the teacher’s unexcused failure to undergo periodic or follow-up medical check-up.

The teacher's employment relationship expires by virtue of law in the following cases (applicable to all categories of teachers):

• the teacher being punished with a valid disciplinary penalty of dismissal, or dismissal combined with a ban from teaching for three years following the dismissal or permanent ban from teaching;
• a valid court ruling whereby the teacher loses his / her public rights or the rights to practise the teaching profession, or in the case of the teacher losing entirely his / her legal capacity;
• a valid court ruling for an intentional crime;
• upon completion of a 3-month period in prison;
• where it has been established that the teacher was employed on the basis of false or invalid documents or against the rules of teachers' employment laid down by the Teachers' Charter.

An employment contract concluded with the teacher for an indefinite period is terminated at the end of the school year, based on a 3-month notice.

Retirement and pensions

Teachers and members of their families are entitled to pensions as defined in the legislation on retirement pensions and disability pensions from the Social Security Fund. However, teaching is considered a special-status profession.

Teachers are entitled to receive a teacher retirement pension, regardless of their age, once they have paid social security contributions (that is, have worked) for a specified period and their employment relationship has been terminated.

Teachers may retire once they have completed a specified period of service:

• 30 years of service, including 20 years of special-status work; or
• 25 years of service, including 20 years of special-status work in the special education sector: for teachers working in special schools and other special education establishments, youth detention centres and young offenders’ centres,

and have terminated their employment relationship at their own request.

Teachers born after 31 December 1948 may apply for the following benefits:

• a retirement pension granted at the state pension age;
• a retirement pension for special-status jobs;
• a teacher retirement pension;
• a teacher compensation allowance / benefit;
• a bridging retirement pension.

Retirement pension at the state pension age

As all other employees, teachers may retire when they reach the state pension age. As of 1 October 2017, the state pension age is lower: 60 years for women and 65 for men.

A retirement pension is granted at the state pension age regardless of the length of service (that is, the period during which an individual has worked).

Such a pension is calculated in accordance with the so-called new rules. The amount of a pension is determined, in particular, by the total amount of indexed social security contributions, the amount of the indexed initial capital, and the average life expectancy for the age at which an individual retires.

Retirement pension for special-status jobs

Teaching is considered a special-status job. This means that teachers may apply for a pension before reaching the state pension age.

Such a pension may be granted if the teacher:

• has reached the age of 55, and on 1 January 1999:
  • had worked for at least 20 years (including periods covered and not covered by social security contributions);
  • had worked as a teacher for at least 15 years on a continuous and full-time basis;
• has reached the age of 60, and on 1 January 1999:
  • had worked for at least 25 years (including periods covered and not covered by social security contributions);
  • had worked as a teacher for at least 15 years on a continuous and full-time basis;
• is not a member of an Open Pension Fund (Otwarty Fundusz Emerytalny).

Teacher retirement pension based on the Teachers’ Charter

Teachers may retire and receive a teacher pension if they fulfil the following conditions:

• had been employed for at least 30 years on 31 December 2008, including at least 20 years of work as a teacher with at least half of the statutory teaching load;
• for teachers of special schools, educational institutions, centres or youth detention centres, or young offenders’ centres: had worked for at least 25 years, including at least 20 years of work as a teacher in the special education sector, with at least half of the statutory teaching load;
• are members of an Open Pension Fund;
• terminate their employment relationship at their own request.

Teachers may also receive a teacher pension when their employment relationship is terminated on the initiative of the school head or expires in the following cases:

• the school is liquidated in whole or in part;

or the following changes take place:

• organisational changes resulting in the reduction of the number of classes;
• changes in the timetable, as a result of which the teacher can no longer be employed on a full-time basis;
• the employment relationship expires during the period of the teacher’s ‘inactivity’ status:
• after 6 months;
• because the teacher refuses to take a job when it is possible to re-employ him/her.

To be entitled to a teacher pension, the teacher is required to give up his / her teaching jobs in all schools where he / she is employed.

Furthermore, a teacher may also receive a teacher pension if he / she:

• fulfils the relevant length-of-service requirement;
• had reached the appropriate age – 60 years (for women) or 65 (for men) – before 1 October 2017, but had not reached the raised retirement age before that date, or reaches the age of 60 (for women) or 65 (for men) after 30 September 2017 and on 31 August 2018 at the latest;
• is not a member of an Open Pension Fund or submits, via the Social Security Institution, a request to transfer the funds collected on his / her Open Pension Fund account to the State budget;
• terminates his / her employment relationship at his / her own request by 31 August 2018;
• submits an application for a retirement pension to the Social Security Institution by 31 August 2018.

Teacher compensation allowance

A compensation allowance is available to teachers employed in:

• public and non-public nursery schools;
• public schools and non-public schools with the public-school status;
• public and non-public continuing education centres;
• youth education centres;
• youth social therapy centres;
• special school-and-education centres;
• special educational centres for children and young people who require special organisation of education, and special working and educational methods;
• centres where:
  • children and young people with a severe intellectual disability participate in rehabilitation and education classes organised in accordance with separate legislation;
  • children and young people with multiple disabilities, including an intellectual disability, participate in compulsory one-year pre-school education (in a nursery school or a nursery school class within a primary school), compulsory full-time education and compulsory part-time education;
• institutions providing care and education to pupils when they participate in education away from home.

Teachers may receive a compensation allowance if they fulfil the following three conditions:

• have reached a given age:
• for women: 55 years between 2009 and 2024; 56 years between 2025 and 2026; 57 years between 2027 and 2028; 58 years between 2029 and 2030; and 59 years between 2013 and 2032;
• for men: 55 years between 2009 and 2014; 56 years between 2015 and 2016; 57 years between 2017 and 2018; 58 years between 2019 and 2020; 59 years between 2021 and 2022; 60 years between 2023 and 2024; 61 years between 2025 and 2026; 62 years between 2027 and 2028; 63 years between 2029 and 2030; 64 years between 2031 and 2032.
• have worked for at least 30 years, including at least 20 years of work as a teacher in one of the institutions listed above, with at least half of the statutory teaching load;
• have terminated their employment relationship.

Bridging retirement pension

A bridging retirement pension is a financial benefit available to some employees working in specific conditions or performing a special-status job.

It may be granted to teachers working in:

• a youth education centre;
• a youth social therapy centre;
• a school-and-education centre;
• a young offenders’ centre;
• a youth detention centre.

To receive such a pension, teachers should fulfil the following conditions:

• have reached the age of 55 (for women) or 60 (for men);
• have worked for at least 20 years (for women) or 25 years (for men);
• have worked for at least 15 years in specific conditions or performed a special-status job on a full-time basis;
• work in specific conditions or perform a special-status job;
• have terminated their employment relationship.