Will teachers be left alone with “learning outcomes”? Trade unionists want the president's veto

To veto the amendment to the Education Law, enabling, among others, implementation of the curriculum reform in schools in stages, the National Secretariat of Science and Education of NSZZ “Solidarność” appealed to President Karol Nawrocki. According to him, the amendment raises serious substantive and legal concerns.

The amendment to the Education Law and certain other acts, which was submitted to the president, changes, among others: definition of the core curriculum for preschool education and the core curriculum for general education. They are to clearly and precisely define educational goals and learning outcomes, and be consistent internally and between subjects.

The basics are to be written in the language of learning outcomes precisely enoughso that they can be used to create diagnostic tools and exams and effectively support students in the learning process. At the same time, they should be flexible enough to allow teachers to implement them according to their own ideas and in a way that takes into account the diverse educational needs of students, focused on building students' competences, and not only on memorizing information.

The change in the core curriculum for preschool education, the core curriculum for general education and the framework teaching plans for public schools is planned for gradual implementation, starting from the school year 2026/2027 in preschool education and in grades I and IV of primary school, and in the case of grade I of secondary schools, from the school year 2027/2028.

The amendment also introduces, among others:

• changes in the scope of pedagogical supervision, including the abandonment of the obligation for the education superintendent to issue opinions on the organization sheets of public schools and institutions (there will only be follow-up inspections),
• also returns, from the 2026/2027 school year, to the April date of the eighth-grade exam.

The Secretariat of Science and Education of NSZZ “Solidarność” in a letter of appeal to the president appealed not to sign the amendment and to refer it for reconsideration.

In his opinion, the implementation of the amendment in its current form “gand long-term destabilization of the education systema reduction in the quality of education, as well as a further overload for teachers and school principals, who are already under a significant burden of administrative and organizational responsibilities.

According to the Secretariat, introducing only “expected learning outcomes” into the core curriculum instead of the existing curriculum content creates a number of serious threats for teachers, both in legal, methodological and organizational terms. First of all, this change fundamentally shifts the burden of responsibility for the educational process from the structure of the education system to an individual teacher.

For the education system to function properly, it is necessary to involve students, parents and teachers, and not only teachers, in the educational process. So far, the curriculum content has been the framework that protects the teacher against over-interpretation and arbitrary assessment. Once they are removed, the teacher is left alone with a set of very general outcomes that he or she must achieve, based on his or her own interpretations for which he or she will later be held accountable, or, worse still, based on the interpretations of third parties who may conclude that a given student has not achieved the expected learning outcomes, we read.

According to Solidarity, the greater autonomy of teachers declared in the project turns out to be a sham in practice. Instead of real methodological freedom, the reform obliges teachers to document in detail educational experiences, learning outcomes and numerous inter-subject correlations. At the same time, the lack of teacher support mechanisms was pointed out.

“As a result, nTeachers will be given more bureaucracy and more responsibility without real toolswhich will additionally make it difficult for them to fulfill their basic teaching duties,” the appeal noted.

The union's serious concerns are also raised by the resignation from issuing opinions on organizational sheets by school boards and the introduction of various supervision tools in individual voivodeships.

“It will lead to loss of uniform control standards, increase in discretion and growing differences between regionsand, which will translate into unequal treatment of teachers and inequalities in the quality of education,” we read.

Objections are also raised, among others, by: postponing the eighth-grade exam to an earlier date, which – indicates “S” – will shorten the learning time in the 8th grade, increasing pressure on students and teachers and hindering the implementation of the program.

The most serious effect of the reform, however, will be many years of organizational chaos caused by the parallel functioning of two core curricula, two examination systems and two lists of textbooks for a period of 6 to even 11 years – it was emphasized.

In the opinion of “S”, the scale of the problems indicated, the lack of a reliable analysis of the effects and numerous risks to the stability of the education system mean that signing the amendment in its current form would constitute a serious threat to the functioning of Polish schools. “For the sake of the well-being of students, teachers, principals and the entire education system, we appeal to you to use your prerogative and refuse to sign the bill,” appeals KSNiO NSZZ “Solidarność” to the president. (PAP)

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