The Polish education system seems to be very complicated. Children started their education at the age of seven and the compulsory age lasts to sixteen. Polish schools are usually public. They are also co-educational.
At first, children are sent to the primary school. It lasts six years. They are learnt such subjects as: languages, math, music, art, history and physical education. After graduating the sixth class they are supposed to take the first serious exam, but the results of this exam don't determine what type of junior high schools the students will attend to. Then children chose the junior high school and they attend there for three years.
At this school there are a lot of additional subjects such as chemistry, social studies, biology and geography. Before they graduate they have to pass the final exams which is consisted of two sections: a humanistic one and a science one. At the age of sixteen they leave this school and if they would like to educate further they take the exam to the secondary school.
They chose among high school, technical school or vocational school. If they are going to study at the university, they start a high school or a technical school. If they don't want to study, they choose the vocational. After three or four year of attending to the secondary school, most of students take Matura-exam. Before they start to study, they have to pass the entrance exam.
To study at the university you are required to get the good results of Matura-exam. You will receive the Bachelor's Degree after three years of studing and present your thesis. After next two years of complementary Master-level courses you will get the Master's Degree. Of course the Master thesis is necessary. You can also choose the five-year-study, but in this case you receive only the Master Degree, you don't get the Bachelor's Degree.
Vocabulary:
primary school - szkoła podstawowa
junior high school - gimnazjum
high school - liceum
technical school - technikum
univeristy - uniwesytet
Bachelor's Degree - stopień licencjata
Master's Degree - stopień magistra
complementary Master-level courses - studia magisterskie uzupełniające
