Poland cuts religion class hours, about 4,500 teachers lose jobs

Poland's Ministry of Education reduced the weekly time allotted to religious education from two hours to one hour for the 2025/2026 school year. Data from the System of Education Information show that the number of employed religion teachers fell from 27,393 to 22,876 – a drop of roughly 4,500 positions, or 16.5 %. The Association of Secular Catechists (Stowarzyszenie Katechetów Świeckich) says the loss is only the tip of an iceberg, warning that many more teachers face hidden unemployment, early retirement or reduced contracts. The association had previously estimated that up to 10,000 catechists could be affected. In July 2025 the Constitutional Tribunal ruled the regulation unconstitutional for bypassing consultation with religious bodies. In response, the association has drafted a bill titled “Yes for Religion and Ethics” that would make two mandatory religion or ethics lessons per week in all schools, a proposal supported by a petition of half a million signatures.