Timeline
  • 2017Approved/Agreed
ID number
28494

Background

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

Previously, the Teachers' Charter stated that teachers had the right to participate in all forms of CPD and were to work on their own 'personal development'. Continuous professional development was required of teachers wanting to advance to higher levels. The Teacher's Charter specifies four categories of job positions in the teaching profession (trainee teacher, contractual teacher, appointed teacher, chartered teacher), which have a direct impact on a teacher's basic salary level. Promotion to the next position required a given number of years of school experience, completion of an internship and a positive assessment of professional achievements during the internship, as well as additional conditions.

Description

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

In October 2017, the Act on financing educational tasks was adopted. The Act made teacher CPD obligatory and to be conducted in line with the school's needs. Head teachers report annually on teachers' CPD. Changes in teachers' advancement procedures were also implemented, however, they were withdrawn in a subsequent amendment to the Teachers Charter in 2019.

The Act also allowed higher salaries to be paid to specialists employed at schools who are not teachers. Previously, such a salary could not be higher than 184% of the 'base amount' for a teacher. After the change, local authorities managing schools were able to agree to salaries higher than this limit.

2017
Approved/Agreed

In 2017, the regulation was approved and put in force.

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
  • Ministry of National Education (until 2021)

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.

Education professionals

  • Teachers
  • Trainers
  • School leaders

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.

Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences

Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.

This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.

The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.

Systematic approaches to and opportunities for initial and continuous professional development of school leaders, teachers and trainers

This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.

Attractiveness of the teaching and training profession/career

This thematic sub-category refers to measures aimed at engaging more professionals into teaching and training careers, including career schemes or incentives. It includes measures enabling teaching and training of staff, managing VET provider and trainer teams in companies to act as multipliers and mediators, and supporting their peers and/or local communities.

Subsystem

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

Further reading

Sources for further reading where readers can find more information on policy developments: links to official documents, dedicated websites, project pages. Some sources may only be available in national languages.

Country

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). Mandatory teacher CPD and incentives to attract specialists: Poland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/pl/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28494