Education Minister outlines phasing in of new school system

Anna Zalewska, Poland’s education minister, confirmed that middle schools (Polish: gimnazjum), in their current form in Poland, would cease to exist, but that the process would be implemented gradually, beginning in September of 2017. The minister was speaking in an interview with Polish Radio on Friday morning. She indicated that the changes would affect approximately 720,000 students. She stressed that in view of the demographic low, the total number of students starting high school in the next school year (which will be doubled as there will be two classes of first grade students simultaneously) will not be overwhelming, and that all schools are prepared for the additional students. The education reforms is to bring back the school system that Poland had before the education reform of 1999: instead of the current three-tier system (six-year elementary school, three-year middle school and three-year high school) children will attend an eight-year elementary school and a four-year high school (alternatively a five-year technical high school). The first phase will affect children who are now in their first year of middle school (gimnazjum) and those currently in the sixth year of primary school.