Education options for children-education system, international schools in Wroclaw

The Polish education system includes public and non-public education.

Following primary school, students enter secondary education, which includes general high schools (liceum), technical schools (technikum), and vocational schools (szkoła branżowa).

• General high schools typically last four years and prepare students for the Matura examination, which is necessary for university admission.
• Technical and vocational schools combine general education with specialized training and also offer pathways to higher education.
• Higher education in Poland is provided by universities, technical universities, and various specialized institutions. Poland follows the Bologna Process, offering Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees. Polish universities are known for their high standards and international programs, attracting students from around the globe.
• In addition to the public education system, there are also numerous private schools and international schools that cater to expatriates and offer curricula in various languages. The Polish education system emphasizes not only academic excellence but also the holistic development of students, preparing them for future professional and personal success.

Children aged 3-6 years

Preschool education:

• the kindergarten is attended by children aged from 3 years (exceptionally from 2.5 years) to 6 years;
• a child at the age of 6 is obliged to undergo annual preschool preparation. It can be carried out in a kindergarten, a kindergarten unit in an elementary school or in another form of preschool education;
• kindergarten operates throughout the school year, except for breaks established by the authority in charge of the kindergarten.

Children aged 7-15 years

Elementary school (8 years):

• learning in public elementary schools is free;
• children of 7 years old start school in the first grade;

Admission to elementary school:

A public elementary school has an established perimeter/district (list of towns, streets, neighborhoods); the school is obliged to admit a student living in its perimeter. Registration of a child in the school can take place throughout the school year.

• foreigners are admitted to schools on the basis of documents: a certificate, certificate or other document certifying the completion of a school or subsequent stage of education abroad, or another educational stage abroad or a statement regarding the sum of years of schooling;
• if a student arriving from abroad cannot submit documents, he/she is admitted on the basis of an interview conducted by the school director. If the student does not speak Polish, the interview is conducted in the foreign language spoken by the student.

Children aged 15+

Secondary schools (to the student's choice):

• High school:

• high school is a 4-year secondary school, where students are educated in accordance with the core curriculum of general education. This school prepares the student for the matriculation exam;
• a positive result of the matriculation exam (receiving a high school diploma) is necessary to begin higher education at a Polish university;
• a graduate of a general high school can study in a post-secondary school (it is not required to pass the matriculation exam and obtain a high school diploma);
• graduation from a high school gives a general secondary education, but not a specific profession.

• Technical school:

• technical school is a 5-year secondary school, in which students are trained in a selected profession of vocational education;
• after graduating from the technical school, students have professional qualifications and can get a job; they also have the opportunity to pass the matriculation exam and go to university;
• graduation from a technical school gives a secondary trade education, and thus gives   qualifications for a specific profession;
• students of the technical school take an external state exam conducted by the district examination board during their education. After successfully passing the professional exams and graduating from school, the graduate is awarded the title of technician;
• at the technical school, students study general and vocational subjects.

• First-degree vocational school:

• education at a vocational school lasts 3 years and includes general and vocational training in accordance with the classification of occupations of vocational education;
• vocational practical training, can take place at school, with employers (as young workers), vocational training centers or continuing education institutions;
• after graduating from a first-degree vocational school and passing the vocational  exams, the graduate will receive a vocational diploma, and will receive a (industry) vocational basic education;
• graduates of a vocational  first-degree school, can either work or continue their education at a second-degree vocational school or in high school for adults.

• Second-degree vocational school

• The 2-year vocational school of the second degree is intended for graduates of the vocational school of the first degree who have passed the professional examination for the first qualification in the profession taught in the second degree industry school.

In Wroclaw there are:

• 226 public preschools;
• 142 public primary schools;
• 44 public high schools;
• 63 public vocational and technical schools.

International Schools in Wroclaw:

There are 28 units of international education in Wroclaw, including: 12 kindergartens, 8 elementary schools and 8 secondary schools. In some international schools there is the possibility of passing international exams.

Check out the map of international schools in Wroclaw:

• https://www.wroclaw.pl/live-in-wroclaw/international-and-other-schools

Learn more about the crèche and preschool care system in Wroclaw and about subsidies for families with children living in Poland: here