1. by Joanna Hajduga

2. THE COMMISION OF NATIONAL EDUCATION  Started on 14 October 1773 by king Stanisław August Poniatowski and Polish Sejm  First central, autonomous educational institution with the chief figure of Hugo Kołłątaj  Everybody had access to education (including peasants)  Laid the first foundations for the terminology in Chemistry, Phisics, Grammar, Mathematics and Logics  Thanks to the Commision Polish language did not disappear during three partitions of Poland.

3.  Polish Educational system was completely eliminated (9640 teachers, professors and Polish intelligentsia arrested and killed by the Nazis)  Only primary and vocational education permitted (with no Polish content)  The beginning of UNDERGROUND TEACHING MOVEMENT

4.  Established in December 1939  Completely secret organisation  Almost 107000 studetns attended all kinds of underground schools  Mainly Polish language, history, literature were taught

5.  Reconstruction of the Polish educational system and reduction of illiteracy  Creation of compulsory eight-year primary schools  A range variety of different types of schools  Eduction compulsory till the age of 18  The beginnings of the pedagogical lyceum in order to educate new teachers  Introduction of the foreign languages learning

6.  Introduction of the two-year vocational schools and four-year technical schools  Establishment of training schools at factories  Separation of the theological faculties from the regular universities

7.  15 July 1961  Education compulsory until the 17 years of age  Free of charge secular education  Lasted 10 years  After 1971 several missed reforms of minor importance were introduced

8.  Introduction of six-year primary schools, three-year middle schools, three-year comprehensive secondary schools, four- year technical secondary schools and two/three-year vocational secondary schools  Compulsory examinations after primary school, middle school and secondary school  Access to the higher education after receiving the Maturity Certificate

9.  Since 2012 compulsory education will start at the age of 5 (0 kindergarten class)