The liquidation of the Teacher card is not a vacancy. It will be replaced by new legislation that aligns with the rule of law and raises the professional status of educators, according to a post by Education and Science Minister Przemysław Czarnek on Friday.
The decision to abolish the Teachers’ Charter Act was announced on Thursday evening by the Minister during a Sejm speech given amid discussions on the no-confidence vote in his leadership of the Ministry of Education and Science.
Plans were stated clearly: the goal is to abolish the Teachers’ Statute. It is included in the government program and is slated for completion in the autumn. The minister’s message on the matter was explicit: the teacher card should be abolished.
That statement came from Black and was echoed on Friday by the Polish Teachers Union and its president, Sławomir Broniarz, via Twitter.
The Polish Teachers Union’s top board strongly protests the announcement to lift the Teacher’s Charter Act, which regulates the rights and duties of teachers working in public local schools, kindergartens, and related institutions.
– reads the union’s submission.
Czarnek said that the liquidation of the Teacher’s Charter does not create a void. It will be replaced by a modern legal act that respects the rule of law, strengthens professional status, and should positively influence pay levels and fairness.
The ZNP published a statement on its website on Friday explaining its opposition to the abolition of the Teachers’ Statute Act.
It argues that the Charter is a professional statute that defines teachers’ rights and duties, protects education from excessive commercialization, and ensures equal educational opportunities everywhere. It asserts that the Charter sets uniform standards for teachers across all regions, regardless of local wealth, and guarantees stability for schools and staff in fluctuating political and economic climates.
The history of teachers in Poland is closely linked to the Teacher’s Charter, a principal statute guiding professional practices. The precursor to today’s framework traces back to the 1926 Law on Professional Relations of Teachers, with the current Charter standing as one of the most amended laws in Poland.
– notes the statement.
Regulation of working conditions
ZNP summarizes that the Charter regulates working conditions, remuneration, and teaching qualifications. It is described as the sole collective bargaining agreement in Poland today, detailing teachers’ employment terms, duties, and rights, and outlining levels of professional advancement and teachers’ allowances. It is said to ensure equal educational opportunities everywhere, with pay raises tied to the Charter and guarantees of a base salary and fixed working hours, alongside avenues for professional growth.
According to the union, the Charter provides guidance to teachers and guards against full commercialization of the education system, including the politicization of hiring and compensation practices. It asserts that earlier provisions left teachers exposed to potential misuse by school principals. The Charter is presented as having introduced pro-education provisions.
The charter historically specified working time, including teaching load, and established entitlement to allowances such as traineeship and rural work bonuses, along with access to health and social funds and awards. It is credited with catalyzing reforms in teaching styles and learning conditions, and it mandated state support for rural schools to ensure qualified teachers were available nationwide. It also guaranteed teachers the freedom to choose teaching methods recognized by contemporary pedagogy, and defined processes for teacher improvement and retraining. It placed on school boards and supervisory bodies the obligation to provide appropriate working and learning environments for both teachers and students.
As noted today, the 1982 charter is vastly different from the current document, having been amended more than sixty times in three decades. Yet its core aim remains: to secure a high-quality education delivered by professionally stable teachers.
– emphasizes the union’s position.
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mly/PAP
Source: wPolityce