Education in Warsaw

Warsaw is one of the largest and best cultural and university centers in Poland. Education at the highest level is available here in many institutions in almost every district of the city. The Polish education system includes a nursery to which even several months old children are sent, then a kindergarten (usually children between 3 and 6 years old), primary school (as a result of the recent reform, primary education includes 8 classes to which attends children 7 – 15 years old) and high school (4 years) or technical school (5 years). Learning in high school is completed with a high school diploma that allows you to study at a university. Warsaw’s universities are characterized by a very high level of education, which is why getting to them is considered to be the most difficult in the country. In addition to general subjects, curriculum in technical secondary school also includes the study of technical subjects – education ends with a final exam and a vocational exam. A graduate of a technical school can take up a job after high school.

Once more people decide to have private education for their children – also in this area Warsaw educational institutions have a wide offer. Poles attach great importance to the knowledge of foreign languages ​​by their children – bilingual nurseries or kindergartens are gaining a lot of popularity. Learning two foreign languages ​​is actually a standard – English is considered the basis, while as a second child they often learn French, German or Spanish. At higher levels of education, bilingual classes – from primary school to medium – are a popular solution. The idea of ​​a bilingual class is that some of the subjects are to be delivered in Polish, and some – in a foreign language (mainly English, there are schools conducting classes in German or French). In addition to the basic educational offer, Warsaw institutions offer numerous opportunities for the development of artistic or sports skills – there are many sports clubs in Warsaw, as well as cultural centers where you can develop your acting, visual or vocal skills. There are also public music schools that offer professional learning on many instruments as well as music theory.

There are 23 universities in Warsaw, several of them (including the Warsaw University, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw School of Economics or the Warsaw Medical University) lead the rankings of the best universities in Poland and have their places in the ranking of the best universities in Europe. Studies in Poland are free – except for courses taught in foreign languages ​​and extramural studies (weekend), as well as private higher education institutions. In Poland, the attitude towards private universities is slowly changing, although it still differs from the views prevailing in Western Europe – privately in the country on the Vistula does not mean better, still state universities are considered to be those that offer higher level of education. Interestingly, the issue of early school education, elementary education and high school is the opposite – private institutions offer European level of education, fewer children count, and the level of education is noticeably higher. It is worth mentioning here that private education is a synonym of wealth and luxury.