School changes 2025/2026 – what will you realistically see in your child's plan?
As of September 1, 2025, important changes are coming to schools, which parents and students will experience from the first week of the school year – from new subjects, to a new core physical education curriculum, to a different structure of religion and ethics classes. Additionally, there are modifications to the organization of special education and recently adopted amendments to the Teachers' Charter, which will impact the availability of consultations and support at school. What exactly are the new features awaiting your children, and what is worth knowing? Let's take a closer look!
Changes in schools for 2025/2026 – an overview of the most important news
The 2025/2026 school year is a time of many reforms. The most important changes in schools concern the core curriculum, the organization of classes, the school calendar, and school operating rules. Below you will find a brief summary, and a detailed discussion of each issue is presented in the following paragraphs.
🔹 Two new items: civic education and health education is one of the biggest changes in schools.
Both subjects are scheduled to be introduced in the school curriculum from September 1, 2025, and will focus on developing practical skills essential for everyday life. What can parents and students expect from these two new subjects? What grades will they be introduced for? Are they mandatory? A full overview of the scope, hours, and teacher qualifications can be found at our article.
🔹 Religion and Ethics – one hour per week
Beginning in the 2025/2026 school year, both religion and ethics will appear in the curriculum on a reduced basis – one hour per week, typically at the beginning or end of the school day. More details are provided in the following paragraphs.
🔹 Physical Education: Changes at School = New Approach to Activity
Mandatory physical fitness tests will be diagnostic in nature and will not affect final grades. To learn more about this change in the school year planned for 2025/2026, continue reading this article.
🔹 Special Education – Greater Educational Stability
The new regulations will allow students to continue their education in their current classroom, even after a change in their special education needs assessment. This is important. changes in education for 2025/2026, which provide children with continuity of education and stability of their peer environment.
🔹 Exemption from the second modern language (minority students — more on this topic later in the article.
🔹 Changes to the Teacher's Charter – including the elimination of availability hours and streamlining organizational issues.
🔹 School year calendar and winter break
Starting in the 2025/2026 school year, a new winter break schedule will be implemented – instead of the previous four, only three will be scheduled. If you'd like to learn the exact dates of the 2026 break, we'll explain more in the following sections.
🔹 Project of changes in the scope of attendance – possible tightening of classification rules in the event of a large number of absences (details later in the article).
Religion and ethics – fewer hours and a different place in the schedule
From the 2025/2026 school year in public schools Religious education and ethics classes will be limited to one hour per week. The Ministry of National Education recommended that these classes be placed at the beginning or end of the school day, to reduce the occurrence of so-called "windows" in the lesson plan. These are practical changes at school that are intended to simplify students' daily schedules and facilitate the organization of classes.
In July 2025, the Constitutional Tribunal found the regulation in this matter unconstitutional, citing the lack of a formal agreement with churches and religious associations. Despite this legal dispute, the Ministry of National Education maintains its position: one hour of religion or ethics education per week and the "at the beginning or end of the day" rule remain guidelines for schools.
Combining classes and inter-class groups
When a student in a given class registers for religion or ethics lessons less than seven students, the school can create interclass groupsThis solution has been in place for years and complies with applicable regulations. This makes learning organization more effective and the timetable more stable. These are further practical changes in schools that streamline the way elective courses are conducted.
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Senior specialist in the Department of Assessment and Cooperation Development, Institute of Mother and Child
PE in a new version from September - changes in education 2025/2026
The new core curriculum of physical education (Journal of Laws of 21 July 2025) moves away from "counting the norms" in favour of comprehensive development and motivation to be activeIn practice, this means:
- fitness tests (including shuttle run, plank, long jump) performed between February and April, treated only as diagnostic tool, without affecting the assessment,
- bigger program flexibility – the teacher selects methods that suit the class’s capabilities, using fieldwork and outdoor activities more often,
- The program for older classes includes a new one module related to physical fitness, inspired by the requirements of professions where fitness is crucial, e.g. in uniformed services.
These types of changes at school are part of broader changes in education in 2025/2026, the aim of which is to promote a healthy lifestyle and systematic physical activity among children and young people.
Special Education – Less Formal Turbulence Throughout the Year
From September 1, 2025, if a student receives a new certificate during the school year (e.g. a change of diagnosis or adding multiple disabilities), he or she will be able – at the request of his or her parents or at his or her own request – continue education in the current special school department or special department of a mainstream school.
The regulations specify limits: a maximum of 2 students in this situationand in the case of joint special classes for students with moderate, severe or multiple intellectual disabilities – to 4 students.
These are changes in the school that will streamline the system and ensure greater stability of class groups as part of the 2025/2026 education changes.
Exemption from a second modern language (minority students) – order in documents
Students belonging to national/ethnic minorities or those learning a regional language may be exempt from a second foreign language in the final stage of primary school. The note "exempt/dismissed" appears in the documentation (instead of a grade).
Parents and students should remember about dates folding applications for exemption from a second foreign language – you can check them in the school schedule and announcements from the Ministry of National Education/school board (they may differ from previous years).
"Changes in education 2025/2026": amendment to the Teachers' Charter
In August 2025, it was published a major amendment to the Teachers' Charter (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1160). For parents and students, the most important things are two consequences:
- End of "Availability Hours" (so-called black hours) from 1.09.2025 September XNUMX, consultations with teachers will be organised more flexibly, within working hours, and not at imposed hours,
- Sorting out a few organizational issues, including the rules of ad hoc replacements; in vocational education unified teaching load of 18 hours for teachers of theoretical and practical subjects. In practice, this should facilitate planning and lead to a reduction in the number of accidental substitutions at the expense of subject lessons.
Calendar of the 2025/2026 school year: winter break in 3 rounds
- The first date of the winter break, falling on January 19 to February 1, 2026, applies to students from the Masovian, Pomeranian, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships.
- Another round, from February 2 to 15, 2026, will cover Lower Silesia, Kuyavia and Pomerania, Łódź, West Pomerania, Lesser Poland and Opole.
- Last date, from February 16 to March 1, 2026, falls on the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, the Lublin Voivodeship, Greater Poland, the Lubusz Voivodeship and Silesia.
This is the official schedule of the Ministry of National Education, so parents can already plan winter trips or summer camps.
Attendance – announced changes in education 2025/2026 (draft)
The Ministry of National Education is working on regulations according to which a student would not be classified if the number unexcused absences will exceed 25% per year and/ or 50% per monthAt this point, these are only legislative proposals, so it's worth following announcements from the Ministry of National Education, the school board, and entries in the electronic journal.
Schools will keep parents informed about the possible entry into force of these solutions and about exceptions, e.g. the possibility of taking classification exams in the case of excused absences.
Summary: changes in schools 2025/2026 – less chaos, more sense?
The 2025/2026 school year introduces a number of changes to education which – regardless of the discussions around religion and ethics – have a common goal: greater practicality of learning and better support for students. Health and civic education are intended to prepare young people to function consciously in society, new PE basis supports motivation for exercise and a healthy lifestyle, and regulations in the field special education provide greater educational stability. Additionally, changes to the Teacher's Charter introduce more flexible consultations, and a new holiday calendar organizes the organization of the school year.
Keeping up to date with school and Ministry of National Education announcements will allow you to better adapt to new solutions and ensure your child has stable conditions for everyday functioning at school.
Bibliography (access to internet sources as of 27.08.2025/XNUMX/XNUMX):
- MEN/Gov.pl – new subjects from 1.09.2025 September XNUMX (civic education, health education) and framework teaching plans. Gov.pl+1
- Journal of Laws of 21 July 2025 – new PE core curriculum (tests in February–April, no impact on grade). Journal of Laws
Journal of Laws of 30 June 2025 – organization of public schools: continuity in special education, limits 2 and 4. Journal of Laws - Ministry of National Education Calendar – winter break 2026 in three dates. Gov.pl
- Religion/ethics – Regulation of the Ministry of National Education of 17.01.2025 January 1 (XNUMX hour/week, beginning/end of day) and information about the Constitutional Tribunal’s judgment (procedural dispute). Gov.plConstitutional Tribunal
- Teacher Card – Journal of Laws 2025, item 1160: abolition of “hours of availability” and other changes. Journal of Laws
- Turnout project – 25%/50% proposal in the legislative work list. Gov.pl
