Editing Poland (section)

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Poland|Universities in Poland}}
[[File:Krakow Collegium Maius - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Jagiellonian University]] in [[Kraków]], one of the world's oldest institutions of higher learning]]

The [[Jagiellonian University]] founded in 1364 by [[Casimir III the Great|Casimir III]] in [[Kraków]] was the first institution of higher learning established in Poland, and is one of the [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest universities]] still in continuous operation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History – Jagiellonian University – Jagiellonian University |url=https://en.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/about-university/history |website=en.uj.edu.pl |access-date=3 December 2020 |archive-date=13 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213000720/https://en.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/about-university/history |url-status=live }}</ref> Poland's [[Commission of National Education]] (''Komisja Edukacji Narodowej''), established in 1773, was the world's first state ministry of education.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jan IJ. van der Meer |url={{GBurl|id=-98Z_F7SWroC|p=233}} |title=Literary Activities and Attitudes in the Stanislavian Age in Poland (1764–1795): A Social System? |publisher=Rodopi |year=2002 |isbn=978-90-420-0933-2 |page=233 |access-date=26 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Norman Davies |url=https://archive.org/details/godsplaygroundhi00norm_0 |title=God's Playground: 1795 to the present |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-231-12819-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/godsplaygroundhi00norm_0/page/167 167] |oclc=660185612 |author-link=Norman Davies |url-access=registration}}</ref> In 2018, the [[Programme for International Student Assessment]], coordinated by the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]], placed Poland's educational output as one of the highest in the OECD, ranking 5th by student attainment and 6th by student performance in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/education/ |title=Better life index. Education |date=2024 |website=oecdbetterlifeindex.org |publisher=OECD |access-date=5 October 2024}}</ref> The study showed that students in Poland perform better academically than in most OECD countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=PISA publications |url=https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_POL.pdf |access-date=30 June 2022 |publisher=OECD}}</ref>

The framework for primary, secondary and higher tertiary education are established by the [[Ministry of National Education (Poland)|Ministry of Education and Science]]. One year of kindergarten is [[compulsory education|compulsory]] for six-year-olds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zmiany w wychowaniu przedszkolnym - Informacje - Wychowanie przedszkolne w Polsce - wiek, obowiązek, miejsce, opłaty - dlaprzedszkolaka.info |url=https://www.dlaprzedszkolaka.info/s/4146/77362-Informacje/4080018-Zmiany-w-wychowaniu-przedszkolnym.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125190653/https://www.dlaprzedszkolaka.info/s/4146/77362-Informacje/4080018-Zmiany-w-wychowaniu-przedszkolnym.htm |archive-date=25 November 2020 |access-date=3 December 2020 |website=www.dlaprzedszkolaka.info |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref name="Sejm 2016">{{Cite web |title=Ustawa z dnia 14 grudnia 2016 r. |url=http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20170000059/T/D20170059L.pdf |access-date=30 June 2022 |website=isap.sejm.gov.pl |language=pl |archive-date=10 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110085743/http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20170000059/T/D20170059L.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Primary education traditionally begins at the age of seven, although children aged six can attend at the request of their parents or guardians.<ref name="Sejm 2016" /> Elementary school spans eight grades and secondary schooling is dependent on student preference – a four-year high school (''[[General education liceum|liceum]]''), a five-year technical school (''[[Technikum (Polish education)|technikum]]'') or various [[vocational school|vocational studies]] (''szkoła branżowa'') can be pursued by individual pupils.<ref name="Sejm 2016" /> A liceum or technikum is concluded with a maturity exit exam (''[[matura]]''), which must be passed in order to apply for a university or other institutions of higher learning.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MATURA 2020 &#124; wymagania na STUDIA &#124; jak wygląda &#124; terminy |url=https://www.otouczelnie.pl/artykul/4578/Matura-2020-i-wszystko-co-trzeba-o-niej-wiedziec |website=otouczelnie.pl}}</ref>

In Poland, there are over 500 university-level institutions,<ref>Central Statistical Office: [http://www.stat.gov.pl/cps/rde/xbcr/gus/PUBL_E_szkoly_wyzsze_2008.pdf Studenci szkół wyższych (łącznie z cudzoziemcami) na dzień 30 XI 2008.] Number of students at Poland's institutions of higher education, as of 30 November 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2012. Archived at [https://web.archive.org/web/20081028221046/http://www.stat.gov.pl/cps/rde/xbcr/gus/PUBL_maly_rocznik_statystyczny_2008.pdf Archive.org] on 28 October 2008. {{in lang|pl}}</ref> with numerous faculties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Study in Poland |url=https://studies.info/en/country/poland |access-date=27 March 2019 |website=studies.info |archive-date=27 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327090036/https://studies.info/en/country/poland |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[University of Warsaw]] and [[Warsaw Polytechnic]], the [[University of Wrocław]], [[Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań]] and the [[Gdańsk University of Technology|University of Technology in Gdańsk]] are among the most prominent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ranking Uczelni Akademickich – Ranking Szkół Wyższych PERSPEKTYWY 2019 |url=http://ranking.perspektywy.pl/2019/ranking-uczelni-akademickich |website=ranking.perspektywy.pl}}</ref> There are three conventional [[academic degree]]s in Poland – ''[[Licentiate (degree)|licencjat]]'' or ''[[Bachelor's degree|inżynier]]'' (first cycle), ''[[magister (degree)|magister]]'' (second cycle) and ''[[PhD|doktor]]'' (third cycle qualification).<ref name="OECD 2009" />