Global and intercultural dimension in curriculum development

Like schools for children and young people, primary schools and general secondary schools for adults and stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools (which take adult learners) develop curricula based on the core curricula established by the Minister of National Education (since January 2021, the Minister of Education and Science). The core curricula specify curricular contents, knowledge and skills which should be covered by curricula developed by schools. As part of the ongoing education reform (2016/2017 – 2022/2023), primary and general secondary schools for adults currently follow transitional core curricula.

The core curriculum for general education in stage II sectoral vocational schools (for students who have finished a corresponding stage I sectoral vocational school; see curricula for school education) is laid down in the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 30 January 2018 on the core curricula for general education in general secondary schools, technical secondary schools and stage II sectoral vocational schools (Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 30 stycznia 2018 r. w sprawie podstawy programowej kształcenia ogólnego dla liceum ogólnokształcącego, technikum oraz branżowej szkoły II stopnia). The core curriculum covers 8 subjects, including the Polish language and a modern foreign language. As part of the subject Polish Language, students study selected world classics books.

The core curriculum for general education in post-secondary schools is laid down the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 14 February 2017 on the core curricula for preschool education and for general education in primary schools, including for pupils with mild and severe intellectual disabilities, for general education in stage I sectoral vocational schools, general education in special schools preparing for employment, and general education in post-secondary schools (Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 14 lutego 2017 r. w sprawie podstawy programowej wychowania przedszkolnego oraz podstawy programowej kształcenia ogólnego dla szkoły podstawowej, w tym dla uczniów z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną w stopniu umiarkowanym lub znacznym, kształcenia ogólnego dla branżowej szkoły I stopnia, kształcenia ogólnego dla szkoły specjalnej przysposabiającej do pracy oraz kształcenia ogólnego dla szkoły policealnej). The core curriculum specifies contents only for the Basics of Entrepreneurship (for students who did not take the subject at an earlier education stage). The subject comprises, among other things, a course / block ‘Principles underlying the operation of the European and world economies’, including the following European and global dimension issues: ‘Poland’s international economic cooperation.  Integration with the European Union’, and ‘The process of economic globalisation and its consequences for Poland’.

Adult education in non-school settings is provided by various organisations as part of labour-market training or economic activities (see Chapter 8, Adult Education and Training). Detailed information on the international dimension in adult education in non-school settings is not available. Many adult education providers offer courses on European integration. Various foreign language courses are very popular among adult learners. An increasing number of institutions offer courses of Polish as a foreign language.

Partnerships and networks

There are no national programmes or initiatives supporting institutional cooperation in adult education. Adult education institutions and organisations establish transnational partnerships in projects under the EU Erasmus+ Programme (2014-2020; 2021-2027) and the Education Programme funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.

Within the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme, schools for adults, stage II sectoral vocational schools and post-secondary schools (which are not classified in the legislation as schools for adults but take adult learners) and other institutions providing vocational education and training to adults can be involved in six types of projects:

• Action 2, Partnerships for Cooperation: Cooperation Partnerships and Small-scale Partnerships;
• Action 2, Partnerships for Excellence: Centres for Vocational Excellence;
• Action 2, Partnerships for Innovation: Alliances for Innovation;
• Action 3, Jean Monnet Actions in Other Fields of Education and Training: Jean Monnet Teacher Trainings and Jean Monnet Networks in Other Fields of Education and Training.

Institutions providing in-service teacher training can also collaborate with their international partners in Action 2 projects: Erasmus+ Teacher Academies.

For information about Erasmus+ projects, see Chapter 13.4.2 ‘Other Dimensions of Internationalisation in Early Childhood and School Education / Partnerships and networks’.

The Education Programme is funded as part the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism by Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway and administered in Poland by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (a new English-language website under construction). Within the component ‘Institutional cooperation for the improvement of quality and relevance of education’, schools for adults and other adult education providers (like institutions in other education sectors) can apply for grants for the development or updating of curricula, activities supporting the exchange of experience and good practice and joint initiatives (for example, conferences, seminars, education and training events) with partners in the donor countries.