There is a different atmosphere in schools, no more pressure from Minister Przemysław Czarnek, teachers are paid much better, the core curriculum is more nuanced, there is no homework – so much has changed in one year, and this is what the Minister of Education is proud of. Barbara Novaka assures that she is working on further changes because expectations are still high.
Friday marks exactly one year since Barbara Novaka joined the Ministry of National Education. We asked students, teachers, activists and directors to rate the ministry.
– These changes are proceeding in the right way. The topic of history and the present is becoming a thing of the past, says the director of secondary school XLVII Lodz Wojciech Ulatowski. “We feel more respect for our profession,” adds Anna Dzigelewska, a Polish language teacher at primary school number 37 in Białystok. – There is a different atmosphere in the school and it is “wow”, – says Alexandra Dulas, a psychotherapist from SPUNK Foundation for Modern Education.
And how does the minister rate himself? “A lot has been accomplished in education,” Barbara Novaka said in the anniversary recording, citing partisanship in schools and school boards as well as cuts to the core curriculum. The minister also talks about raising teachers' salaries and emphasizes that they are not final and will be improved.
The hikes didn't help. It is not only the low salary that discourages people from continuing their teaching career Stefania Kulik/Fakti po Poludniu TVN24
“It is not much better,” we hear from the Polish teachers' union, because a five percent increase next year is not satisfactory. – Our salary will continue to be approximately the minimum wage, I am talking about teachers who are starting their work, – says the president of the Polish teachers' union, Slawomir Broniarz.
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Within 12 months, work has already started on new disciplines: health care and education of citizens. It was also decided not to include the score of religion and morality in the average. Housework was also limited, but this idea, according to our interlocutors, was simply ineffective.
– This has a demoralizing effect on students, because they do not feel responsible for doing their homework, – says Viktoria Malyszewska, president of the student government of primary school No. 37 in Białystok.
The bishops claim that the topic of health education is against the constitution Renata Kijowska / Fakti TVN
What else needs to be done in the field of education?
However, there is no doubt that a long-awaited and meaningful debate about the school has begun over the past year. Under the previous government, the tone of this report was set by successive “fires” caused by controversial statements of Minister Czarnek or his associates. They discussed later versions of the laws called lex Czarnek, the Willa Plus scandal and the HiT directive.
– A big advantage is the opportunity to enter into a dialogue with the Ministry, – notes Gabriel Volosevich, Teacher of the Year 2024 from the Reda District School Complex.
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Now the dialogue takes place, for example, at the students' round table. A group was also created to cooperate with non-governmental organizations. – We want more – we hear.
– There is no idea about the school that was promised, but on the other hand, there is still very little time (since there is a new government – ed.) – emphasizes Alexandra Dulas. – We do not see teachers and experts who work in schools every day more openly, – says Karolina Prus-Wirzbicka from the organization “SOS for Education”.
This will be especially useful during the major reform of the basic curriculum, the first changes of which will be introduced to schools in September 2026. – We want experimental teachers to constantly participate in this process of preparing the final version, – assures the Deputy Minister of Public Education, Katarzina Lubnauer.
The leaders of the Ministry of Public Education should take into account that expectations are increasing year by year, because now it is not enough to be only Minister Tsarnek.
Main photo source: Fact TVN
