Practical ideas for better learning — at every age.
On Wednesday Poland celebrates National Education Day. Under the Teachers' Charter it is free from lessons. What this means for parents, plus ideas for thanking teachers without expensive gifts.
September is sign-up month for sport, languages, music and clubs. How to choose activities, how much exercise children need according to WHO, how to fit in sleep and free time, and the signs that a schedule is overloaded.
How to prepare, ask practical questions and agree on next steps that support your child’s everyday learning.
Tomorrow is 1 September. For first-graders it's also the first year of the new core curriculum. What to expect, how the after-school club and grades work in grades 1–3, and how to support your child's adjustment.
Apply for the PLN 300 school supplies benefit by the end of August and ZUS will pay by 30 September. Plus a practical shopping list: what to buy before 1 September and what can wait until the first week of school.
Average 2026 eighth-grade exam results: Polish 65%, maths 55%, English 73%. Now the deadlines matter: delivering the certificate and results statement, possibly changing school choices, and confirming the place.
The holidays last until 31 August, parents' leave usually less. Using Warsaw's 'Summer in the City' as an example, we show how municipal day camps work and where else to look for activities and how to judge them.
After the eighth-grade exam, applications to general secondary, technical and vocational schools are open. Deadlines vary by region — Mazowsze closes on 27 May, Wielkopolska on 29 May, Silesia on 22 June. A checklist so nothing is missed.
The oral Polish matura takes place in May on dates set by each school. How it runs — up to 15 minutes to prepare, a monologue of up to 10 minutes and a conversation of up to 5 — and how to use the list of 76 published questions.
There are 200 points to earn: 100 from the eighth-grade exam and 100 from the report card. How to count them, what grades and achievements are worth, and what the admissions calendar looks like, using Mazowsze as an example.
The Ministry announced signed regulations on 12 March 2026. Primary-school implementation follows a phased approach.
Eighth-graders face a decision about secondary school. We compare the three main routes, explain how to read schools' offers and what to check at open days before recruitment starts in spring.
In February and March municipalities run enrolment to preschools and first grades. Which children start school in September 2026, how registration differs from recruitment, and which criteria count for preschool places.
From 19 January pupils in Mazowieckie, Pomorskie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie are on winter break, with other regions following in February. Where to look for holiday activities, what they may cost and what to check.
The written matura starts on 4 May and results come on 8 July. Before that, students submit their final declaration in the ZIU system by 9 February. The key dates and rules.
In the 2025/2026 school year the winter break is held in three rounds between 19 January and 1 March. Check when it falls in your region and plan childcare in good time.
1 November falls on a Saturday this year, 11 November on a Tuesday, and many schools have a headteacher's day off on 10 November. Who decides about days off, when must the school provide care, and how can parents prepare?
