School in Poland: free, without nostrification, and with extra Polish

A child coming from the Netherlands goes to state school in Poland free of charge, on the same terms as a Polish child, until it is eighteen or finishes school. The Dutch school reports don't have to be recognised first: the head places your child in a class on the basis of the foreign papers. Whoever speaks the language not at all or barely has the right to free extra Polish lessons. That is where this article's finding lies. For a foreign child, according to the ministry, that extra lesson is not limited in time. For a child who has Polish nationality alongside the Dutch one, and is therefore a Polish citizen, a limit of twelve months applies.

From what age is your child of compulsory school age?

Compulsory education in Poland runs until eighteen. Compulsory schooling starts with the school year in the calendar year in which your child turns seven, and is fulfilled at a primary school. After that, compulsory education continues at a secondary school or in vocational training with an employer. Six-year-olds have a compulsory preparatory year, in a nursery school or a nursery class of the primary school.

Take this seriously. Whoever doesn't send their child to school first gets a warning from the municipality and eventually a penalty payment that can rise to 10,000 złoty. Missing at least half of the school days in a month already counts as unjustified absence.

What	Age or scope	Cost
Preparatory year	the year your child turns 6	on the same terms as Polish children
Compulsory schooling (primary school)	from the school year in which your child turns 7	free
Compulsory education	until 18	free at state schools
Extra Polish	at least 2 hours a week	free
Extra Polish plus remedial lessons together	at most 5 hours a week	free
Remedial lessons per subject	up to 12 months	free
Assistant who speaks the mother tongue	up to 12 months	free
Preparatory class	in principle 1 school year, at most 1 year longer	free

Do the Dutch school reports have to be recognised first?

No. Children from abroad, Poles and foreigners alike, are admitted to state schools on the basis of their foreign school papers, without nostrification. The exception is further education that has a particular diploma as an entry requirement. The head decides which class or semester your child joins and also takes into account the age and the parent's opinion. So bring the latest reports, and if possible a statement from the Dutch school about the level.

For specialist schools, such as sports, arts or bilingual streams, extra admission requirements may apply.

How do the extra Polish lessons work?

A foreign child of compulsory school age who doesn't speak enough Polish has the right to extra, free Polish lessons. The municipality or district of your place of residence organises them. In addition your child can get remedial lessons for twelve months in a subject where it is behind. Extra Polish and remedial lessons together may not exceed five hours a week; the ministry names a minimum of two hours a week for the extra Polish. The head can also hire an assistant who speaks the language of the country of origin for at most twelve months.

Some schools have a preparatory class (oddział przygotowawczy), for children who don't master Polish or master it poorly, or who struggle with the transition. There your child gets at least three hours a week of Polish as a foreign language, and follows the regular curriculum at its own pace. Such a class has at most fifteen pupils and in principle lasts the school year of admission.

A dual nationality changes the rule. The ministry distinguishes between foreigners and Polish citizens arriving from abroad. For a foreign child the extra Polish lessons are not limited in time; for a Polish child from abroad twelve months apply. If your child also has a Polish passport, ask at enrolment how the school schedules those twelve months, and don't start them halfway through the year.

What if your child sits exams later?

Children who don't yet master Polish sufficiently can sit the exam at the end of year eight and the secondary school final exam under adapted conditions, for example with a bilingual dictionary or more time. That requires a positive opinion from the teachers' council. For the exam in a modern foreign language that adaptation does not apply.

What do you arrange first?

Education at a state school is free for foreign children up to eighteen or until they have finished secondary school. What you arrange first is the address: with the address registration you can register your minor child at the same time, and that is also where its PESEL comes from. Where school fits into the order of moving and registration is in the step-by-step plan for Poland.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.4: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Poland or go straight to step 5.4 in the open plan.