“Behavior grades are obsolete.” School is not only a place to acquire knowledge?

Assessment of behavior in Polish schools is “obsolete”, although for now the ministry is not planning any changes in this area, said the Minister of Education, Barbara Nowacka, at a meeting with young people in Gdańsk. She emphasized that school is not only a place to acquire knowledge, but also a space to build relationships.

The head of the Ministry of National Education took part in the 6th Student Conference on Human Rights entitled: “Human rights to well-being”, which took place in the auditorium of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk.

She emphasized that the debate on human rights requires, above all, respect, which is the foundation of the functioning of society. – Without respect there is no well-built relationship. Without respect for other people, it is difficult to talk about human rights, because human rights also arose from the idea of ​​respect for diversity and different experiences, she said.

She emphasized that the school helps not only in acquiring knowledge, but also teaches how to build interpersonal relationships. – The art is to shape relationships in such a way that everyone, whether a friend, a colleague, a teacher or a person we meet by chance, feels good in our company – she added.

In a conversation with young people, the minister emphasized the importance of the right to students' mental well-being, pointing out that its implementation is more important than its formal inclusion in educational regulations. She pointed out that the very concept of well-being had become the subject of political disputes.

Nowacka emphasized that both students and teachers should have access to mental health support. – Without mental health, it is difficult to talk about building a strong, resilient society – she said.

During the meeting, students also noted the overload of material and the pressure of grades. Nowacka emphasized that acquiring knowledge is the basic role of school. – As a rule, the school must demand and provide knowledge – she added.

However, she said that in the past the core curriculum had been excessively expanded and announced changes as part of the “Compass of Tomorrow” reform. As she explained, the goal is to reduce repetitive content and introduce a more coherent, modular teaching system so that children and young people better understand the meaning and connections between individual issues.

– We want to prepare the changes in such a way as to restore the meaning of learning without completely overturning the entire system – she said.

Nowacka was also asked about the point system for assessing students' behavior in schools. She said that in her opinion, “behavior grades are a thing of the past.” – We will not change it for now, because it arouses great social emotions. However, there are two countries where there is a conduct assessment at all – Poland and Belarus. I am not convinced that this is the perfect company for us, added the head of the Ministry of National Education.

Another problem raised by students was access to school psychologists. The minister admitted that in many regions there is still a shortage of specialists, especially those who would like to work in educational institutions. – There are still such regions, primarily the south of Poland, the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, which simply has the fewest psychologists. – she added.

At the same time, she emphasized that a psychologist provides support in times of crisis, but does not treat the causes of youth problems.

She also emphasized the need for well-organized psychological support for teachers who are particularly vulnerable to burnout. (PAP)

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