Setting up the Ministry of Education and Science

Policy development
Regulation/Legislation
Poland
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Timeline
  • 2020Approved/Agreed
ID number
39753

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

Until 2020, education, higher education and science were managed by two distinct ministries. The decision of the Prime Minister to merge the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education was one of the reorganising actions taken to improve the management of ministries.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

The Ministry of Education and Science was established to improve the functioning of the government and to consolidate tasks relating to education, higher education and science within one institution.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

On 17 December 2020, a Regulation of the Council of Ministers set up the Ministry of Education and Science after merging the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. On 1 January 2021, the new ministry started to operate. The Minister for Education and Science was appointed, with responsibility for directing the Departments of Education (including VET), Higher Education and Science.

2020
Approved/Agreed

The Regulation of the Council of Ministers on the establishment of the Ministry of Education and Science and the abolition of the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education was approved on 17 December 2020.

On 1 January 2021, the new ministry started to operate.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Ministry of National Education

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Sonstige

Policy makers

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Governance of VET and lifelong learning

This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.

This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.

The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.

Coordinating VET and other policies

This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET
CVET

Country

Poland

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Regulation/Legislation
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Setting up the Ministry of Education and Science: Poland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/de/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/39753