Curriculum, subjects, number of hours
Outline timetables established by the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 7 February 2012 on the outline timetables for public schools (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z 7 lutego 2012 r. w sprawie ramowych planów nauczania w szkołach publicznych) (with further amendments; last amended on 29 December 2014) are still in place for grades of pre-reform 4-year technical upper secondary schools which enrolled graduates of pre-reform lower secondary schools.
Schools and grades operating in the new school system, including stage I and stage II sectoral vocational schools, follow new outline timetables. The new outline timetables are laid down in the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of 3 April 2019 on the outline timetables for public schools (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 3 kwietnia 2019 r. w sprawie ramowych planów nauczania dla publicznych szkół) .
OUTLINE TIMETABLES FOR NEW 5-YEAR TECHNICAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS
For a post-reform technical secondary school (education stage III):
- Weekly number of teaching / class hours for compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor:
| No. | Compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor | Weekly number of hours per grade | Total number in the 5-year education cycle | ||||
| I | II | III | IV | V | |||
| Basic level | |||||||
| 1. | Polish language | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 41) | 16 |
| 2. | Modern foreign language | 2 } + 22) 2 | 2 } + 22) 2 | 2 } + 22) 2 | 3 } + 22) 1 | 31) } + 21)2) 11) | 12 } +102) 8 |
| 3. | Second modern foreign language | ||||||
| 4. | Philosophy, Visual arts, Music or Latin and ancient culture 3) | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 5. | History | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11) | 8 |
| 6. | Civic education | - | - | - | 1 | 11) | 2 |
| 7. | Introduction to entrepreneurship | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 |
| 8. | Geography 4) | - | } 16 | ||||
| 9. | Biology 4) | - | |||||
| 10. | Chemistry 4) | - | |||||
| 11. | Physics 4) | - | |||||
| 12. | Mathematics | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 41) | 14 |
| 13. | Computer science / IT | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| 14. | Physical education | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 15. | Safety education | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 16. | Lessons with the class tutor | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Total: Subjects taught at the basic level and lessons with the class tutor | 22 + 2 2) | 21+2 2) | 22+2 2) | 20+22) | 18+21)2) | 103+10 2) | |
| Subjects taught at the advanced level | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 21) | 8 | |
| Vocational training 5) | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 71) | 56 | |
| Total: Compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor | 34 + 2 2) | 35+2 2) | 36+2 2) | 35+22) | 27+21)2) | 167+10 2) | |
| Hours to be allocated by the school head | 4 | 4 | |||||
| Total | 171 + 102) | ||||||
1) The school head determines the weekly number of hours for individual compulsory classes, while keeping the number of hours allocated to compulsory classes in grade V.
2) Additional hours for a modern foreign language which is the second language of tuition in a bilingual technical secondary school or a bilingual class of a technical secondary school.
3) The school head selects one subject to be taught in grade I from among Philosophy, Visual Arts, Music, and Latin and Ancient Culture.
4) The school head determines the number of hours for grades in which the subject will be taught, while keeping the weekly number of hours allocated to the subjects taught at the basic level and lessons with the class tutor in individual grades. The number of hours allocated to the subject in the 5-year education cycle is 4. The subject can be taught in grades I, II, III or IV.
5) The hours allocated to compulsory vocational training are distributed by the school head. However, the number of hours allocated to practical training may not be lower than 50% of the total number of hours for vocational training.
- Other classes / educational activities
Technical secondary schools also offer subjects / courses which may be chosen as electives by students / parents and / or other classes which aim, for example, to maintain the national or ethnic identity of students. In particular, these include:
- Religion or Ethics: 2 hours per week in accordance with Article 12, section 2 of the School Education Act (ustawa o systemie oświaty);
- Family Education: the number of hours is set by the regulations based on Article 4, section 3 of the Act of 7 January 1993 on Family Planning, Human Embryo Protection and Conditions of Permissibility of Abortion (ustawa z dnia 7 stycznia 1993 r. o planowaniu rodziny, ochronie płodu rodziny i warunkach dopuszczalności przerywania ciąży);
- National minority language, Ethnic minority language, Regional language and Minority history and culture: the number of hours is set by the regulations based on Article 13, section 3 of the School Education Act;
- Geography of the state with which a national minority identifies itself: the number of hours is set by the regulations based on Article 13, section 3 of the School Education Act; classes are conducted in case the school administering body allocates hours to such classes.
The outline timetable also includes sport classes / activities in sports classes and schools and sports championship classes and schools, and counselling and guidance (so-called psychological and educational support) classes.
Where the school administering body has allocated hours, a school offers additional educational activities and sign language classes.
Furthermore, post-primary schools in Poland conduct career guidance classes in accordance with the regulations based on Article 26a, section 3 of the Law on School Education (ustawa – Prawo oświatowe ). The minimum number of hours for such classes is 10 in the 4-year education cycle.
OUTLINE TIMETABLES FOR STAGE I SECTORAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
In stage I sectoral vocational schools (post-primary schools: education stage III in the new school system), the weekly number of teaching / class hours during the entire 3-year education cycle (the total number of hours is not specified) is as follows:
No. | Compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor | Weekly number of hours per grade | Total number in the 3-year education cycle | ||
| I | II | III | |||
| 1. | Polish language | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 2. | Modern foreign language | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 3. | History | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| 4. | Civic education | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| 5. | Introduction to entrepreneurship | - | 2 | - | 2 |
| 6. | Geography | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 7. | Biology | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 8. | Chemistry | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 9. | Physics | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 10. | Mathematics | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 11. | Computer science / IT | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 12. | Physical education | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 13. | Safety education | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 14. | Vocational training 2) | 12 | 18 | 20 | 50 |
| 15. | Lessons with the class tutor | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Total: compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor 3) | 28 | 30 | 28 | 86 | |
| Hours to be allocated by the school head | 3 | 3 | |||
| Total | 89 | ||||
1) Not applicable to students with a moderate or severe intellectual disability and students with multiple disabilities including a moderate or severe intellectual disability.
2) The hours allocated to compulsory vocational training are distributed by the school head. However, the number of hours allocated to practical training may not be lower than 60% of the total number of hours for vocational training. For students who are juvenile workers, the head distributes the hours in consultation with employers, and taking into consideration the provisions of the Act of 26 June 1974, The Labour Code (ustawa z dnia 26 czerwca 1974 r., Kodeks Pracy) (as subsequently amended). However, the number of hours for practical training may not be lower than 60% of the total number of hours for vocational training.
3) The weekly number of hours for compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor for students in individual grades is not applicable to students who are juvenile workers. However, the timetable for juvenile workers should include the total number of hours allocated to individual compulsory classes and lessons with the class tutor in the 3-year education cycle.
Additionally, students in stage I sectoral vocational schools are required to take career guidanceclasses: at least 10 hours during the 3-year education cycle. Stage I sectoral vocational schools also offer subjects / courses in accordance with other regulations; these include, for example, Religion or Ethics; Family education; and classes for students from national or ethnic minorities.
OUTLINE TIMETABLES FOR STAGE II SECTORAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
The weekly number of class hours during the entire 2-year education cycle in stage II sectoral vocational schools (post-primary schools: education stage III in the new school system) is as follows:
| No. | Compulsory classes | Full-time day programmes | Total number in the education cycle | Other full-time programmes | Total number in the education cycle | Part-time / extramural programmes | Total number in the 2-year education cycle | |||||
| Weekly number of class hours in each grade (per semester) | Weekly number of class hours in each grade (per semester) | Number of hours per semester | ||||||||||
| I | II | I | II | I | II | III | IV | |||||
| 1. | Polish language | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 120 |
| 2. | Modern foreign language | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 70 |
| 3. | Mathematics | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 84 |
| 4. | Computer science / ICT | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | - | - | - | 14 | |
| 5. | Physical education | 3 | 3 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6. | Vocational training 1) | |||||||||||
| Total | 142) | 122) | 262) | 82) | 82) | 162) | 842) | 692) | 692) | 662) | 2882) | |
| Hours to be allocated by the school head | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 18 | ||||||
| Total | 292) | 172) | 3062) | |||||||||
- The minimum number of class hours per week for rehabilitation classes for students with a disability in each school year:
1) 8 hours per class in a special class;
2) 2 hours per student in a mainstream or integration class.
- The duration of practical placements is 4 weeks (140 hours). Students undertake a placement in in the grade chosen by the school head. The school head may spread a practical placement over a period of time.
1) Vocational training takes place as part of vocational qualification courses; its duration is determined in the national core curriculum for vocational education (for a given occupation), taking into consideration regulations issued on the basis of Article 117, section 5 of the Law on School Education. The hours for the compulsory vocational training classes are distributed by the school head. However, the number of hours allocated to practical vocational training may not be lower than 50% of the total number of hours for vocational training.
2) The number of hours does not include hours for vocational training.
Teaching methods and materials
Subject teachers are free to choose teaching methods and approaches, though this is partly determined by the number of students per class and teaching and learning facilities and resources available in the school (for example, the number of computers or other teaching aids). Students should be divided into smaller groups for some classes (for example, Foreign language, Technology or Computer science / Information technology).
The curriculum can be:
- developed by the teacher individually or jointly with other teachers;
- chosen by the teacher from among the set of curricula developed by other author(s), for example, from among those available on the market;
- developed by other author(s) and modified by the teacher.
The curriculum proposed by the teacher should be adapted to the needs and abilities of the students. The head of a given school approves general education and vocational education curricula at the request of the teacher or the team of teachers concerned and after consultation with the school's teaching council.
Teachers may choose a textbook from among the textbooks approved for the use at school. The head publishes a list of textbooks to be used at a given school from the beginning of the next school year.
Schools are required to install special Internet safety software in computers used for teaching and learning. The software should protect students, in particular, against pornography, brutal and aggressive contents, contents breaking social norms and promoting hatred and discrimination.