Homework in Polish primary schools: what the rules say now and how to organise learning at home

The rules in force

Since 1 April 2024 a regulation of the Minister of Education of 22 March 2024 amending the rules on assessment in public schools has applied. It concerns primary schools (szkoła podstawowa).

In grades 1–3 teachers do not set written or practical homework; the exception is exercises improving fine motor skills, such as tracing. In grades 4–8 homework may be set, but it is not compulsory and not graded — instead of a mark, pupils should get feedback on what they did well and what to improve.

What the evaluation showed

The ministry asked the Educational Research Institute (IBE) to assess the change. About 7,500 teachers and heads from over 2,000 schools responded. According to OKO.press, two-thirds of teachers saw a drop in pupils' motivation and independence, and more than half of schools treated 'optional' as a ban on setting homework. Deputy Minister Katarzyna Lubnauer stressed that the change had no statistical effect on eighth-grade exam results and that most teachers were not giving pupils feedback.

On 3 November recommendations from an expert team appeared on the IBE website — including replacing 'homework' with 'the pupil's own work' and clarifying the role of feedback — but they were taken down within hours and the institute's director announced a re-analysis. So at the start of December no decision on changing the rules has been made.

What this means for parents

Until further notice the 2024 rules apply. No marks for homework does not mean learning at home is no longer needed — especially in grades 7–8, before the exam. A school may also describe in its statute how it sets and reviews optional tasks; it is worth checking.

• Ask the class teacher how optional tasks and feedback work at your school.
• Treat tasks from teachers as a chance to practise, not a box to tick.
• If no tasks are set at all, plan a short review yourself.

A light routine that works

Research on learning shows that short, regular reviews and recalling material from memory work better than long, occasional sessions. In practice 15–30 minutes a day, adjusted to age, is enough.

• Grades 1–3: reading together, counting games, talking about what the child learned today.
• Grades 4–6: ten minutes recalling the lesson from memory and a few textbook exercises.
• Grades 7–8: a fixed weekly plan with one short session on past exam papers.
• For everyone: the same place and time, phone out of reach, a break after 25 minutes.

What to avoid

Do not turn free afternoons into a second school day. A child with time for movement, sleep and hobbies learns more effectively. If learning at home keeps ending in conflict, ask the teacher what really matters at this stage and focus on that.