A speech for Teachers' Day in Poland: three templates — from pupils, from parents and a short one from the class

Teachers' Day is formally National Education Day

People in Poland often say „Dzień Nauczyciela” (Teachers' Day), but under Article 74 of the Karta Nauczyciela (the Teachers' Charter, the law on teachers' employment) 14 October is Dzień Edukacji Narodowej, National Education Day, marking the anniversary of the Commission of National Education. The law calls it a holiday of all education staff, not only teachers, and makes it a day without lessons.

The Commission of National Education (Komisja Edukacji Narodowej, KEN) was set up by the Sejm (parliament) on 14 October 1773 at the request of King Stanisław August Poniatowski; it is regarded as the first ministry of education in Europe. The holiday got its current name in 1982, when it replaced the earlier Teachers' Day — which is why both names are still used.

The next National Education Day falls on Thursday 14 October 2027. Because there are no lessons that day, the school decides when the ceremony with pupils takes place — check the e-dziennik (electronic gradebook) before you start writing.

How to build a speech you can give in two minutes

A school akademia (a formal school assembly with speeches and performances) usually has several speakers, and the hall is waiting for the artistic part. A short speech is remembered better than a long one. A simple four-step outline works:

• Greeting: who you are addressing — the head teacher, teachers, school staff, guests.
• A specific thank-you: one or two sentences on what you are grateful for (patience, extra classes, support in a difficult year).
• One example from your school's life: a trip, a competition, a project, help after an illness — without names if someone might feel left out.
• Wishes and closing: brief, without a list of twenty adjectives.

Template 1: a speech from the pupils' council

The ready-to-read Polish text of every template is in the Polish version of this article. In English the first one says:

“Dear Head Teacher, dear Teachers and Staff of our school! On behalf of all pupils we simply want to say today: thank you. For lessons after which something stays in our heads, and for the ones where you had to explain something to us a third time. For your patience when not everything went as it should. We remember how much work went into [example: the trip to the competition / the school festival / exam preparation] — and we know nobody did it within the hours on the timetable. We also thank the staff of the after-school club, the office, the library, the kitchen and the caretakers — without you this school would not work. We wish you pupils who listen, time to rest and satisfaction from what you do every day. All the best!”

Template 2: a speech from the parents' council

“Dear Head Teacher, dear Teachers and Staff! On behalf of the rada rodziców (parents' council) we thank you for your daily work with our children. We see it at home: in a task our child finally understands, in a book they brought from the library on their own, in a story about a lesson that caught their interest. Thank you for talking with us — including the difficult conversations — and for looking for solutions with us rather than for someone to blame. We know that more and more is expected of schools, while the day does not get any longer. We wish you health, calm, a supportive team and many moments when the sense of this work is clear. Thank you.”

Template 3: a short thank-you from the class to the form tutor

This one can be read in the classroom, written into a shared card, or given to a younger pupil to say — it takes about half a minute.

“Dear Form Tutor! The whole of class [class name] thanks you for always having time for us — in lessons and during breaks. Thank you for [example: the trip / your help with the competition / talking with us when things were hard]. We wish you lots of joy, fewer tests to mark and only calm days. Thank you!”

What to avoid and how to prepare

A few rules that rescue even a short speech:

• Read the text aloud with a stopwatch. If it runs over two minutes, cut adjectives, not the example.
• Do not single out one teacher by name in front of the whole school — unless the speech is, for example, a farewell to someone retiring.
• Avoid jokes about grades, lateness or particular people: everyone is in the hall.
• Do not promise anything on behalf of pupils or parents that nobody has agreed.
• Print the text in a large font, and in place of the example put a real story from your school — a template without one sounds copied from the internet.
• Agree with the pupils' council supervisor or the head teacher when you speak and how much time you have.

Where to read more

Whether children have a day off on 14 October and how to thank teachers without expensive gifts is covered in our guide to National Education Day. The calendar of days without lessons in the school year is in the Tools section of NaukoMapa.