Non-government schools know how to ensure the effectiveness of small schools and want to share this knowledge

• The Association of Educational Employers, together with the Education Board in Poznań, are organizing a conference on the functioning of small schools.
• Its aim is to create a space for cooperation in solving local government problems resulting from the decreasing number of students in schools.
• ZPE wants to actively participate in solving these problems and in the discussion on the shape of the draft amendment to the Education Law.

"Small schools – a big deal. New tools, good practices, shared responsibility" – this is the slogan under which representatives of educational communities, who are familiar with the problems of small schools, will discuss on Thursday, November 6, 2025, in the Auditorium Maximum at the Faculty of Law and Administration of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.

The aim of the conference is to create a space for cooperation between education authorities, local governments and non-governmental organizations, to translate legislative assumptions into practice and to exchange experiences and proven solutions in the field of adaptation and development of small schools.

Adapting school networks to changing demographic, financial, and social conditions is one of the most difficult challenges facing local governments today. Every decision—whether it involves reorganization, outsourcing, or establishing a new facility—requires careful analysis, a sense of the local context, and building public trust.

– wrote, among others, the conference organizers, which are the Education Board in Poznań and the Association of Education Employers.

This marriage of supervisory institutions with the organization of private schools is no coincidence. According to the organizers, given the challenges facing the education system today, and the need to develop responsible and sustainable solutions, collaboration across the entire community—public institutions, local governments, and non-government organizations—is particularly important, as they can share their experiences.

The conference participants reflect this approach and include: Izabela Ziętka, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of National Education; Igor Bykowski, Curator of the Wielkopolska Region; Grzegorz Kryger, Curator of the Pomeranian Region; Mateusz Krajewski, President of the Polish Education Association and President of the National Education Operator Foundation; Jarosław Delewski, Director of the Department of Education at the Wrocław City Hall; Jacek Kowalewski, Director of the Statistical Office in Poznań; Joanna Stuligrosz, Attorney-at-Law from the Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office in Poznań; Tomasz Osewski, Mayor of the Ełk Commune and Vice-Chairman of the Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland; and Tadeusz Kowalski, Mayor of the Tuchola Commune.

The impetus for these discussions is the planned amendment to the Education Law. The proposed solutions largely align with the experiences of non-local government bodies, which, thanks to many years of operating in diverse conditions, have developed practices that combine quality education with organizational effectiveness.

These include, among others:

• developing local activity centers integrating educational and social services (e.g. as part of the LOWE program),
• flexible use of school infrastructure for different age groups - from nursery to seniors - and
• original methodologies for implementing changes based on substantive premises and implemented with the active participation of residents.

According to Deputy Minister of Education Henryk Kiepura, a draft bill amending the Education Law regarding regulations concerning small schools is expected to be added to the government's agenda within the next few days. It is expected to be submitted to parliament this quarter.

The project assumes, among other things, the possibility of establishing more than two primary school branches, creating primary school complexes, and using school facilities for purposes other than solely educating children.

It is worth noting, however, that the Ministry of National Education does not agree to local governments deciding on the closure of a school on their own – in this case, the consent of the education superintendent is still assumed.